


The Girl Who Lives

by WillowEdmond



Series: Payton [1]
Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Children, Families of Choice, Family Drama
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-09-02
Updated: 2016-01-14
Packaged: 2018-04-18 15:28:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 103,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4711016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WillowEdmond/pseuds/WillowEdmond
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When a charismatic Make-A-Wish child charms the roster, Seth Rollins notices his sister is being left out of things and decides to befriend her.  He soon realizes there's something wrong with this family and this child needs more than just a friend, she needs a father figure in her life.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

There was one special kid every year. A child whose dying wish was to spend time with their favorite WWE superstars and to go to Wrestlemania. Of course, it took more than that to be the special one; there were dozens, perhaps even hundreds of dying children who dreamed the same thing, but there was always one child who stuck out, one child who had all the right stuff become the special kid. This year it was Preston Caldwell.

Preston was six years old and bald due to his latest round of chemotherapy. But, he had big, deep blue eyes and the chemotherapy had left him both his eyebrows and his long, sweeping lashes. His missing hair didn't hurt his looks either, instead it gave him an adorable, "Awww, that poor kid!" look. He had been featured in more than one St. Jude's Hospital ads, and he had inspired a lot of donations, especially one where he said to the camera, "It's never time to quit!" in a high, slightly trembling voice as if those words took everything he had to say them. With is winning, infectious grin, some might say that most people would find Preston Caldwell irresistible.

Seth Rollins, however, wasn't one of them.

It wasn't that Seth didn't like kids, he usually got along with them just fine. But, Preston didn't like Seth, or to be more accurate, didn't like the character he played. He thought Seth was a jerk for 'being part of the 'thority." He referred to Seth as "A bad man!" It was a tribute to Seth's acting abilities that the kid disliked him, so Seth was okay with that. Preston had three favorite wrestlers, John Cena was third, Daniel Bryan was second favorite and most favorite was Dolph Ziggler. All three of them thought Preston was a pretty special kid, but Dolph had really taken to him.

The only thing that was too bad about the whole situation was that Preston and the Caldwell family lived in Iowa. Davenport Iowa to be exact, which would have made it nice if Preston and Seth had liked each other. The terminally ill child bonding with the hometown celebrity. Iowa would have loved it, the WWE would have loved it. But it wasn't going to happen. They had tried to explain to Preston that Seth was an all right guy, but Preston wasn't having any part of it. And why should he? His favorite wrestler of all time, Dolph Ziggler thought he was aces and that's all that Preston cared about.

Being the new favorite of the WWE assured that Preston Caldwell and his family were brought to every WWE event they were able to attend. So, it wasn't surprising at all when Seth walked into one of the waiting areas back stage and found Preston, surrounded by admiring superstars, and his parents Myron and Andrea close by, watching and beaming.

"Can you take me down?" Dolph asked. He was kneeling on the floor so he was eye level to Preston, who leaped on him. Dolph fell to the floor, enveloping the kid in a gentle hug. "You got me, little champ!"

"Oh, no fair!" Daniel said, mock upset. "He gets a hug and I don't?"

Preston drew away from Dolph and ran over to Daniel throwing his arms around him. "Don' worry, Dan-yal," he cried out, giving the bearded man a hug. "Gots hugs for you, too!" Then he ran over and gave Cena one, as well as Nattie. The kid loved to give hugs, which sure didn't hurt in making him the favored Make a Wish child of the WWE.

Seth had come in the room looking for his suit jacket. He had been in there earlier, talking with Hunter and Kane about something for RAW tonight. Several other wrestlers and divas were there as well, all fussing over Preston, who seemed to be behaving extra cute today.

"He's having such a good day," Andrea Caldwell said to the entire room, looking at her son with such love that it was almost painful to see. Surely even the Virgin Mary herself didn't look upon Jesus with as much tenderness.

"He's a trooper, our son," Myron commented, also looking at his son as if he was a miracle. "He's got this never give up attitude. He's going to fight this with every breath in his body." Even if Seth and Preston didn't get along, Seth knew it would be hard not to be a little effected by how much the Caldwells loved their son. Or it would have been, if it hadn't been for Payton.

Payton was Preston's sister. Two years older than Preston, she had the potential to be a cute little girl, with her light brown hair and soft brown eyes. The problem was she had a general look of neglect about her. Not like a child who lacked for the basic necessities, but like a child for whom the little things were always forgotten. She usually looked as if she had dressed in the dark and quickly. Her hair was long, but it didn't look as if it were long because someone wanted her to have long hair, it looked as if it were long because no one could be bothered to take her to get it cut. It was never brushed well or fixed, instead it looked as if someone had given it a lick and swipe and sent her out into the world. Seth strongly suspected the only person who ever did Payton's hair was Payton. And she rarely smiled, at least that's what Seth seemed to have observed so far.

Being Preston's sister, she was usually brought to all these events and today was no exception. Also, like most of these events, she was off in the corner of the room, observing all the attention her brother was getting, but not participating. She was wearing a pink Dolph Ziggler T-shirt today that matched her brothers, no doubt given to her so if she showed up in any of the press pictures, she and her brother would look as if they were both dedicated to the same wrestler.

The corner she was sitting in, was right near where Seth's jacket was. When Seth got over to her, he smiled. "Hey Payton," he said.

She looked at him, her expression surprised as if she wasn't sure he was talking to her. Yet, he had said her name and there were no other Payton's in the room. She was sitting on a window ledge, one that was extra wide so it could double as a seat. Her legs were drawn up to her chest, arms around them and her head resting on her knees. "Hello, Mr. Rollins," she answered, politely, raising her head from her knees.

"Why aren't you playing with your brother?" Seth asked, more to be polite that really interested. He often felt a little sorry for the girl, she always looked awkward as if she didn't have the natural charisma her brother did.

She shrugged. "This is his time," she said.

Seth paused, not quite wondering what she meant by that. The window ledge she sat on was for a double window and she was pushed off to one side, leaving plenty of room on the other. He sat down next to her. "His time?" he asked. In the back of his mind, he thought, _Maybe her lack of charisma isn't really a lack. Maybe she's been trained to keep out of the way_.

She nodded. "Preston is sick," she said, softly. "I shouldn't be jealous of the extra attention he gets, he's sick so he needs it more than I do." Her voice had a matter of fact tone to it, as if she was parroting something she had heard way too many times. "He likes wrestling, so this is for him. I'm healthy, God gave me the greatest gift ever, I'm grateful for that."

"Don't you like wrestling?" he asked, then added, "It's okay if you don't." He didn't want to make her feel bad. He had met many sisters of wrestling fans who were not into this form of entertainment, but dragged along anyway.

"I do," she said, then, to his surprise, a small, almost mischievous smile spread across her face. "I just don't like Dolph Ziggler. Or Daniel Bryan, or John Cena."

Seth looked at her, amazed and instantly enchanted. That smile changed her whole face, taking her from someone who looked like a slightly depressed adult that had somehow been shoved into a child's body, into a true child and a cute one at that. "Oh?" He grinned in return. "Who do you like?"

The grin stayed on her face. "I like Dean Ambrose. I like Randy Orton. I like Kane, and I like _you."_

"Me?" he feigned surprise, but was secretly a little delighted. "But I'm a bad guy!"

"I _like_ bad guys," she said, with a determined look as if she was daring someone to tell her she was wrong.

"Why?" he asked, not only to be polite, but because he was genuinely curious.

"Because they do what they want and they never feel bad," she said, as if she had given this matter a lot of thought. "If they have bad thoughts, they don't feel awful later for having them. They don't feel..." she hesitated, not because she didn't know what word she was looking for, but because she was afraid saying it out loud would be trouble. "... _Guilty_ ," she said, her voice firm, and when she realized that the roof hadn't caved in over her remark, she repeated it. "They don't feel guilty."

He started to ask her if she felt guilty about things, when her stomach rumbled loud enough so they both heard it. He smiled, finding it amusing. She wrapped her arms tighter around her legs as if she was trying to make herself disappear. "I'm sorry!" she said, hiding her face in her knees.

"Why are you sorry?" Seth asked, reaching out and gently ruffling her hair. "Everyone gets tummy rumblings sometimes. Even bad guys like me."

"Preston is playing," she said, and he was confused. Why would she apologize for a rumbling stomach because her brother was playing? Preston was so busy being hugged, admired, and loved that there was no chance he hear his sister's stomach growling, neither was it likely her parents did either. Then she added, "I'm not really hungry, it's just making noises. I've got a bubble."

There was something frantic in her tone that set Seth on edge, but he ignored it for now. Instead he decided to deal with the issue right in front of him. "Are you _sure_ you're not hungry?" he asked, noticing for the first time, how thin Payton was. It was hard to tell with children, some children were naturally skinny with matchbook arms and legs, but combined with the barely combed hair and the pants that looked too small in the length and too big in the waist, did nothing to quell the feeling that something was wrong. "I was going to head down to catering and get myself something to eat. You could join me, if you wanted."

"Preston is playing," she repeated, again sounding like she was saying something she had been told many times. "Preston wants to play, not eat."

Seth bit back his first response, which was to go, "So what?" knowing it would not make Payton feel any more comfortable. Instead, he smiled. "Well, then, we'll let him stay here and play. You can come with me, if you'd like. We'll both get something to eat and let Preston spend time with his friends, okay?"

"I don't know if my parents will let me," Payton said.

"I'll ask them." Before she could offer any objections, Seth walked over to Myron Caldwell. "Mr. Caldwell?" He decided to be extra polite, even though he and Myron were probably no more than three years apart in age.

Myron turned away from his son, who was sitting on Naomi's lap, while she laughed and fussed over him. He smiled at Seth, but the smile wasn't as bright as he gave to the wrestlers his son loved most. Still it was a smile. "Call me Myron," he said.

"Thanks," Seth said. "Look, I was talking with your daughter and if it's all right with you and your wife, I'd like to take her on a little tour back stage." Seth didn't know why he was being indirect about his real reason for taking Payton with him. "Then, I was going to grab something to eat at catering and she agreed to keep me company. But I want to make sure it's all right with you, first."

Myron frowned, then turned to Preston. "Press, little man, do you want to go on a back stage tour with Seth Rollins and Payton?"

Seth tried not to frown, but was a little dismayed. Preston was never mention in the invitation. Preston was doing just fine, he was getting all the attention he wanted and then some. Why was Preston to be automatically included on an invitation meant for Payton?

"No!" Preston said, and then shook his head as well. "I want to stay here!" he shouted, snugging into Naomi. "I want to stay with the good guys!"

The remark elicited its share of laughter from the superstars and it took Seth everything he had not to roll his eyes. He wasn't one to pass judgment on a child, especially one who was terminally ill, but it sometimes seemed to him that Preston said things that bordered on rude, but everyone laughed merrily as if Preston was incapable of being anything but an angelic.

"Preston doesn't want to go," Myron said, shrugging.

Seth realized that Myron had no clue that to Seth it didn't matter if Preston wanted to come along or not. That the invitation never was meant to include Preston. Myron Caldwell believed sincerely that no one would dream of doing something, anything, even remotely nice for Payton, unless Preston were to be included. "That's fine," Seth said, "Preston is welcome to stay here and have fun with all his buddies. But, if you don't mind, I'll still take Payton on the tour, and then we'll go to catering together."

Myron frowned as if he was trying to grasp on to a foreign concept and was finding it difficult. "Well," he began, then looked over at Andrea. "Do you mind if Seth Rollins takes Payton on a back stage tour?"

Andrea frowned too. She and her husband both had the same brown hair as Payton, the same brown eyes, which made Seth wonder where Preston had gotten his blue eyes from. They looked almost like brother and sister rather than husband and wife. She had the same frown as her husband too. "Preston doesn't want to go," she said.

Again, Seth fought from rolling his eyes. _If I said Payton had a broken leg, would you look at Preston and say, 'but Preston's leg is fine?'_ he thought.

"I know," Myron said. "But Seth is offering to just take Payton."

"Oh, we don't want her to be a bother!" Andrea said. "She doesn't need a tour, she's fine, and I'm sure you have a lot more important things to do than to show a little girl around."

Yeah? Seth thought, I'll bet you wouldn't worry about the value of my time if Preston had wanted to go. "Actually, I don't," he said, keeping his voice casual and friendly. "I think it will be fun for both of us."

Both Andrea and Myron hesitated and looked at each other. Then, they shrugged. "All right," Myron said. "But if she's a bother, you bring her right back, okay?"

"I will," Seth said, "but I think we'll be fine."

* * *

 

There was a difference with Payton that started from almost the moment the two left the room together. In order to not be lying to her parents, he did show her around a bit backstage, but restricted the tour to things that would lead them directly to catering. The moment they were out the door and the door closed behind them, Seth noticed Payton's step picked up. She had trudged out of the room as if walking was a terrible burden, but outside, her walk seemed more like a child's. Not overly enthusiastic, but it looked a lot less downtrodden. Various people were walking around, stage hands, interns, and so on, hurrying to get everything ready before the show. Seth was worried that they wouldn't be looking out for a small girl, so he offered his hand. She took it and smiled at him.

He pointed out the various things that he felt might interest her, the doors that lead into the various locker rooms. Not sure about the state of dress or undress of the people who could be using them, he did not offer to show her the inside and she didn't ask. He pointed out various private dressing rooms too. "I feel like I'm giving you the tour of doors," he remarked, after pointing out the door that lead into one of the makeshift medical centers.

"That's okay," she said, "I don't mind.

She looked more cheerful than he had ever seen her look before, although to be honest, he hadn't made it a point to study her at great length. But he had met her before, especially when Preston first became the favored "Wish" child and they were all hoping he and Preston would get along. Thinking back on those few times, he wasn't sure he ever saw her looking anything but quiet and solemn. She always sat at the back of the room, as if she was trying not to be noticed. And she was usually pretty successful at it. Preston was always in the center of things, getting the attention of everyone, while big sister was ignored. Seth knew that for the next couple months, until Wrestlemania, that as long as their schedule permitted, the Caldwells and Preston would be at almost every Raw and Smackdown. He decided that he would make it a point to talk to Payton. Why not? She liked bad guys after all.

They were going by one of the makeshift offices that the WWE set up in every arena, the mobile promotions department. He paused and looked at her. "Would you like a Seth Rollins T-Shirt?" he asked her. "Or a Randy Orton, or Kane?" he added, hoping she wouldn't think he was trying to push his T-shirt only on her.

Her eyes widened, but she said nothing, only nodded. The door was open, so he walked in, still holding her hand. Standing, surrounded by numerous boxes of promotional material, was Michelle, one of the promotional managers. Seth had dealt with her before and always liked her. "Hey, Mitchy."

She turned from a box she had been going through. "Hey, if it isn't Mr. Money in the Bank," she joked. Spotting Payton, her smile brightened. "I hope you're going to introduce me to your young friend."

"Of course," Seth said. "Payton, this is Michelle, Michelle, this is Payton." He did _not_ mention that Payton was Preston's sister, having the feeling Payton spent way too much of her life being defined as "Preston's sister."

"Nice to meet you," Payton said, smiling, but looking a little shy.

"It's nice to meet you too," Mitchy said, then looked from Seth to her. "What can I do for you?"

"Well, Payton here wants to expand her wardrobe beyond hot pink," Seth explained. "She thought she might like to get a Seth Rollins T-shirt, or Kane, or maybe even Randy Orton."

"Really?" Mitchy pretended to be surprised at the request, but smiled warmly. When Payton nodded, she turned to the boxes. "I think we can arrange that, let me see..."

A few minutes later, the two of them left the room, Payton holding a bag that contained two Seth Rollin's shirts, one each of the two designs currently out, a Seth Rollin's hoodie, and one T-shirt each of Randy Orton and Kane. "Thank you!" Payton exclaimed for probably the fifth time. She thanked Mitchy effusively at least twice and now Seth, at least three times. Her eyes were sparkling and Seth could see they weren't flat brown, but actually had several shades of brown, from almost a burnt gold color to the deep brown, almost black color of good earth. They were actually rather pretty eyes.

"You're welcome," he said, then added, "Do you want to change into one of those?"

She didn't speak, but nodded rapidly, her eyes still shining. Seth back tracked to one of the smaller private locker rooms being used by the Bella twins. Nikki was just leaving the room, when Seth asked if Payton could use her locker/dressing room to change. Nikki was more than willing to take Payton in and help her if needed. Seth leaned against the wall to wait.

He was just about to knock and make sure everything was all right when the door opened and Payton and Nikki came out. Payton was wearing the black Seth Rollins T-shirt with his initials in yellow. On top of helping her change her T-shirt, Nikki had done her hair in a simple style, taking two locks from the front and bringing them around in the back, then fastening them with an elastic. The difference in how Payton looked was almost night and day.

_She looks like someone cared about her_ , Seth thought, then felt guilty for being so harsh. God knew what problems the Caldwell's faced with a child as sick as Preston. So, he altered his thought to, _she looks like someone took the time to make sure her hair was brushed and fixed_. "Wow," He said, offering his hand again to the little girl, "You look great, that T-shirt is really you. And I like your hair, too!"

"Thank you," she said, then turned to Nikki, "Thank you, too. I love it!"

"Any time," Nikki said, putting her hand on the girl's shoulder and giving it a friendly pat, "It was nice meeting you, Payton."

End of Part One


	2. Chapter 2

By the time they got to catering, Payton was practically skipping and Seth was having trouble believing that this was the same depressed, older-than-her-years looking child he'd seen in the room with her family. With her hair brushed neatly and styled a bit, and her Seth Rollins T-shirt (it fit her a lot better than the Dolph Ziggler one had. The Dolph shirt had been too big, Mitchy had made sure to give Payton the right sizes) she might have been any child that was lucky enough to come back stage, even a niece or a daughter of another wrestler. _She could be my daughter_ , Seth thought, then frowned for a moment. Where had _that_ thought come from? Seth had nothing against kids, he thought Roman's daughter, Leah was a great little girl, and she was around Payton's age. He liked Neil, Dean's son too. But, he never thought much of having kids of his own, even though he was engaged. Being a superstar for the WWE was such an all consuming career, it was hard to imagine when he'd get the time to be able to get married, never mind for Kayla and he to have kids. So, he found he didn't think much about children, he just filed it all under, "Someday this will happen." Now, with his hand curled around Payton's, her skipping beside him, wearing that Seth Rollins T-shirt, he found himself wondering if perhaps he ought to start thinking about some day sooner rather than later.

Some of her shyness came back when it came time to get something to eat. She stared at the chaffing dishes with an expression of bewilderment that had Seth wondering if she just wasn't used to seeing this much food, or if the types of food was unfamiliar to her. It wasn't wildly outlandish fare though. There were the standard pasta dishes, several different forms of chicken, some boring and presumably healthy, some with thick, creamy sauces that made the diva's bemoan the potential fate of their waistlines if they even sniffed them. There was plenty of vegetables, overcooked and lifeless in many cases, but there was salad too.

Since Payton wasn't his child, and seeing that she was as thin as a spring born sapling, Seth felt no obligations to make sure she ate healthy. He lead her down the line, and whatever she indicated she would like to eat, he put some on the plate, letting her decide when he'd put enough on. Still, she didn't pick a meal that was too unhealthy, considering the source. A lot of salad, green beans, a good helping of ziti with a simple tomato sauce and a little bit each of two different chicken dishes, one chicken tenderloins in a lemon pepper sauce, the other chunk white chicken cooked with various vegetables, in an attempt to look like Asian cuisine. For a drink she wanted grape flavored water. There was always flavored water and sports drinks at these things. Every catering company seemed to think that flavored water or sports drinks were the ultimate health drink, even though that was far from the truth, at least with the sugar laden so-called "sports drinks." Seth picked plain bottled water for himself.

When their plates were full, Seth looked around and saw Dean and Roman sitting at a table, swapping their phones back and forth. Seth smiled, he'd seen this before. The two were showing each other picture of their kids. "Do you want to sit with Dean and Roman?" Seth asked, remembering that she mentioned that she liked Dean Ambrose.

She hesitated, then nodded. "If they don't mind."

"They won't," Seth assured her, as they headed over. "We're friends, still." He realize that this might be breaking some taboo, it was obvious Preston believed wrestling was real. But Payton nodded and went with him. _I think she realizes this is a TV show_ , he thought. _And that in essence, we are really athletic actors_.

Seth could hear the two of them before they even got there. "Cinnamon sent this one this morning," Dean was saying, showing Roman his phone. "These were taken yesterday at WVW. That's Neil with Nate, Jasper, and this new kid, Makaio. He's the cousin of Ka'eo the kid who helped me with the Christmas light display. Cinnamon got him a try-out with WVW, and he's wrestling for them. But look at Neil, I swear he's grown since I've seen him."

"You saw him two weeks ago," Roman reminded him, with an amused grin.

"Kid's growing like a weed," Dean remarked, seriously. "He's probably put on another inch."

Roman chuckled, then looked at Seth as he and Payton approached. "Hey, Seth."

"Hi," Seth said, "Roman, Dean, this is Payton, she kindly agreed to be my lunch date." Seth decided not to mention she was Preston's sister. She probably was tired of having no identity around here except that of being "Preston's older sister."

"Hi, Payton," Roman said, smiling. "You can sit here if you like." He motioned to the chair next to him. Roman would now be sitting between Dean and Payton. Seth sat on the other side of Payton, next to Dean.

"Hey, Payton, nice to meet you," Dean said, holding up his phone so she could see the picture on the screen. "This is my son, Neil. He's the handsome one."

"Wow, he looks a little like Mr. Reigns!" Payton exclaimed.

"That's Makaio," Dean said, frowning, "Neil's the one who looks like me."

Payton swallowed and looked around, an expression of terror in her eyes, until Roman laughed and said, "Never show anyone a picture with a Polynesian man in it and expect them to think one of pale guys is the handsome one." He ruffled Payton's hair affectionately, and winked at her. "Good job, Payton."

"Thanks?" Payton half stated, half asked, managing a smile, especially when she noticed Seth was laughing too.

Dean scowled, but kept the phone up. "Okay, okay, Neil is the one on the left, who looks like me. He's the youngest one, even though he's almost as tall as the other guys."

The last part wasn't quite true. While Neil was taller than the average ten year old boy, standing at 5'2", the other three men were at least six feet tall. Payton looked again and nodded. "He _does_ look like you," she said. "Except for his hair."

Dean's voice balanced a line between admittance and bragging, "He gets his hair color from his mom. Hold on a second, I have a picture of him and his friends from a couple years ago, before I knew about him, they went out for Halloween as the Shield, you can really see how much-"

"How about we let Payton eat?" Seth interrupted to suggest. "I can't keep her forever, her parents will wonder."

"No they won't," Payton said, her voice so matter-of-fact that it made Seth inwardly wince. "Not unless Preston wants or has to leave."

The three men looked at her, then looked among each other as if hoping one of them would know the right response for this statement. Seth found himself biting his lower lip to keep from saying the first thing that popped into his mind, which was, _"If Preston wants to jump off a bridge, will you all run for your swimsuits?"_ Part of him knew that the Caldwell's were in a difficult situation and a child as ill as Preston needed a lot of care, but Payton was still their child, too. Did they forget that?

If Payton saw their awkwardness, she showed no sign. Instead she folded her hands in front of her and announced, "I have to pray." She bowed her head and then spoke her prayers out loud and rapidly, "God, thank you that Preston is still alive and having a good day today. Please watch out over Preston and make him better. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, Amen." When she raised her head she smiled and started eating.

Again there was an awkward silence. Not at the praying, there were a few wrestlers whose faith expected them to pray before meals, so they were used to that. But the prayer itself, seemed a little too much to be the ode to Preston. Again, Seth reminded himself that Preston was terminally ill, it wasn't that surprising most of the good will energy the family could muster was spent on praying for the life of a little boy they wanted desperately to keep on this plane of existence.

"I've got a daughter about your age, I think," Roman said, finally breaking the silence. "How old are you, Payton?"

"Eight," Payton said. "What's your daughter's name?"

"Leah," Roman said. "She's six going on seven."

The awkwardness passed and soon the three men and the young girl were talking. Payton was animated in her conversation and ate everything on her plate. When Seth offered to let her have more, she agreed to a bowl of fruit salad as dessert, but declined anything else. She ended up eating two small bowls of fruit salad. When the last piece of melon was chewed and swallowed, she leaned back and rubbed her tummy. "I ate a lot!" she declared, looking almost proud of herself. "My tummy is full!"

"Are you sure?" Dean asked, grinning. "I'm sure Seth would take you for another round, if you're still hungry."

"Oh no, I'm full," Payton said, her voice earnest. "I think if I eat another bite, I'll _explode."_

"Well, we wouldn't want that," Roman said, smiling. "We have a rule about exploding children; we allow them to come to SmackDown, but not RAW." Payton giggled at this.

Seth rose from the table. "I should get you back to your parents," he told her, feeling a bit reluctant. He was enjoying the company of this now lively child who had held her own in a conversation with three adults. She reminded him of Leah in that she was smart for a kid, but she wasn't "just" like Leah, she had her own charms as well. But, he did have to get ready for tonight's RAW, he couldn't spend hours entertain one child, as much as he might have liked to.

Payton herself looked as if she might object and ask for more time, but then she paused and her expression changed. It wasn't a huge change, but to Seth, it looked like some of the light was draining from her eyes and she nodded. Rising from the table, she started to gather up her plate and utensils.

"Don't worry about those," Dean said, leaning across the table and taking the bowl from her fruit salad out of her hands. "We'll clean this up."

"Thank you," she said. She reached under the table and pulled out the bag with her t-shirts and hoodie. When she stood up, she took Seth's hand and he lead her back to the room where her parents were. Going back was almost a reversal of leaving, the closer they got to the room, the quieter Payton was, the heavier her steps seemed.

When they got back to the room, Preston and his parents were still there, along with Dolph, Daniel, and a few other wrestlers and divas. Preston was sitting on Dolph's lap, looking a little tired, but in pretty good shape for such an ill child. Seth remembered that his parents had said he was having a 'good day.' He walked Payton over to her parents. "We're back. I hope you don't mind, we stopped by promotions and they gave Payton a few things."

Preston sat up and stared at his sister, then frowned. "I don't like that shirt!" he barked, shaking his finger at his sister, "take it off!"

Everyone but Payton, Seth, and Preston laughed as if Preston had told a really good joke. "I like it," Payton said, looking at her parents, with an expression that clearly showed she was hoping they would take her side on this. "And Seth gave it to me!"

"That's a Seth Rollins t-shirt and he's a bad guy!" Preston declared. "I don't like bad guys!"

Part of Seth wanted to turn to the kid and tell him to mind his own business, that if his sister wanted to wear a Seth Rollins T-shirt, well, maybe he should just suck it up and let her. But he didn't want to make the situation worse for Payton. Instead he said a hasty good bye, saying he really had to prepare for tonight's show and left the room.

As he headed off to get ready, he wasn't sure if he'd done the right thing or not.

* * *

The show that night was a good one. Seth had a match with Dolph, which Dolph won by DQ, not surprising. The Caldwells were right by the ring, and when Dolph left, he paused by the family to give Preston a quick hug, which made the audience let out a collective, "Aww!" Preston had already been featured on several internet articles about the WWE and all the work they did for Make A Wish. The young boy was rapidly becoming a celebrity in his own right. Seth watched the display of affection, and while he was glad for Preston, glad for Dolph even, that the two of them could have this moment, he kept looking over at Payton. She was wearing the too-big Dolph Ziggler T-shirt again. Seth just hoped they hadn't gotten rid of the other shirts she'd been given, just made her change back into this one.

As Seth was heading towards the ramp, he saw Payton with her arm outstretched as if trying to touch him. Normally, bad guys did not play up to the fans, that wasn't what bad guys did. But, it was a commercial break, so Seth moved so he was walking closer to the barricade. When he was close enough, he reached out, meaning merely to brush against Payton's hand, to show her she too had her friend in the WWE, just as Preston did. She reached out to him, then her eyes widened. Before he could react, he felt a slap on his head. Not too hard, but with enough force that Seth knew it wasn't an accident. Preston's voice trilled out, "Go away, bad man! You don't touch my sister!"

A camera had stayed on him, they kept them running during the commercials, so the moment was captured on the titantron. The audience broke out in laughter and Cole made a joke about how even children knew Seth was a bad guy. Seth really didn't care, except that he saw a look of shame and embarrassment in Payton's eyes as if she expected Seth to scowl at her for how her brother was acting. Seth still managed to give her hand a quick squeeze, hoping to assure her that he wasn't upset, then hurried off to the jeers of the audience, who were thrilled to see Sell Out Seth being taken down a peg or two by such a cute little boy.

* * *

 

This was Seth's last appearance of the night, so he went to the locker room to get changed. He was a big enough star that he probably could have gotten a private dressing room, but he never minded sharing one of the smaller locker rooms with some of the other guys. And tonight, as if it were old times week, he was sharing with Dean and Roman.

When he walked in, Dean was sitting on one of the benches, looking at the monitor that was set up so the wrestlers could keep an eye out for what was going on with the show. Dean had performed earlier that night, and had cleaned up and change into clean ring gear. Certain fans were allowed to come back stage after the show, and while they wanted to see their favorite superstars in their ring gear, they did _not_ want to smell the sweat a good match could build on someone. "Hey, Seth," he called out.

"Hey, Dean," Seth said, heading back to the shower area. "I'm going to clean up."

"Okay," Dean said, still watching the show.

When Seth came back into the dressing area, freshly showered, Dean was still watching the TV. Seth went over to his locker and started changing into clean ring gear. He wasn't going to wear the top, he would just wear the pants and one of his T-shirts.

"I saw you get slapped by Preston," Dean said casually. "He's kind of a brat, isn't he?"

Seth stopped, holding the towel he had wrapped around himself and stared at Dean, a part of him wanting to agree, but the instinct to defend a sick child kicked in instead. "Preston's sick," he said, slowly, "and he's had a long day today. He's probably tired and a little cranky, that's why he smacked me. You have to admit, Dean, it looked pretty good. The cute, sick child hitting the bad man."

"If it was scripted, I'd say it was adorable," Dean said, "but I don't think it was planned, was it?"

Seth shook his head, then added, "I don't think so... well, actually, no, it couldn't have been. I decided to go over to Payton at the last minute, figuring it would be all right during a commercial."

"Yeah," Dean said, his gaze back on the TV. "And I get that the kid is sick and he's had a long, exciting day, which might make him a little cranky, but he sure didn't look tired. He did get a nap backstage here, I saw him on the couch sleeping while his parents looked upon him with adoring eyes," he rolled his own before continuing, "and I'm not saying that Preston doesn't deserve the best medical care, that it's a horrible shame that he's likely not to live to see adulthood, possibly even adolescence. That's a horrible thing, and for that, his family has my sympathy, for what good it will do them."

"Then what _are_ you saying?" Seth asked as he quickly dropped the towel and pulled on the clean pair of pants he had waiting.

Dean looked at Seth and tipped his head to one side. "I guess what I'm saying is, would it have been as adorable if _Payton_ had slapped you?"

"Payton is older," Seth reminded him, as he pulled the Seth Rollins 'I Bought In' t-shirt. "She knows better."

"I know that, okay, good point." Dean nodded. "Then let's put it this way, if Payton was the younger one, would it have been as cute then? How about if Preston was the same age he is now, but healthy? Never had cancer? Would it _still_ be so cute?"

"I'll bet a lot of people would have laughed," Seth pointed out, which was absolutely true. It was actually funny when he thought about it, the sweet, innocent, child putting the heel wrestler in his place. It was the sort-of thing that seemed almost staged. 

"People laugh at bratty things all the time," Dean countered, his gaze going back to the TV. "Hell, you do bratty stuff all the time as part of your character. I did bratty stuff to you when we were having our conflict. People laugh at them, that doesn't make them any less bratty or annoying. I'm not saying Preston is evil, I'm not saying he should be smacked about the head and shoulders, and I'm not saying that it isn't still a horrible shame the kid is sick. Hell, I'd go as far to say that if donating one of my kidneys would save the kid's life, I'd do it, and I'm rather fond of my kidneys. He's a kid and he deserves a full shot at life, just as much as anyone else. But, I still say he's bratty. Being sick doesn't make bad behavior suddenly good."

Seth sat down on the bench near Dean, realizing he was right. "Well, everyone else seems to think it's cute," he said, the defense sounding lame, even to his own ears. He wasn't sure why he was defending Preston in the first place. Probably because it just seemed wrong to point out negative behavior in a child who might not make it to his seventh birthday.

"Yeah? Well, I'm wondering what will happen if the kid goes into remission," Dean said thoughtfully. "Let's say he's one of the really lucky ones who goes into remission and is cancer free. What then?"

"His parents will rejoice, his sister will rejoice, it will be a great thing."

"Yup," Dean agreed. "It will. If I was the type of man who prayed, I'd pray for that, but I'm not. I'm sure everyone in the WWE who has faith in prayer are filling the heavens with requests that Preston lives, not to mention his family and I'm sure everyone else who knows him. If the miracle happens, there will be rejoicing, for a time. Then, the miracle will fade a bit. People will get used to the idea that Preston is no longer in danger of dying right away. Preston's parents won't greet each day scared it might be their son's last day on this planet. But, what about Preston? He's been the focus of attention since he was diagnosed. He's been the alpha and omega of the family existence. What happens now that he runs the risk of becoming, 'Payton's baby brother?'"

"I-I don't know," Seth said, wondering why this conversation was making him so uncomfortable. "I guess he'll get used to it. He might just be glad to be alive."

"Maybe," Dean said, shrugging. "But, it won't be easy. The kid is used to getting everything he wants, whenever he wants. It might not be his fault, but his parents have really encouraged him to play the, 'I'm sick!' card to the fullest extent possible. Preston has been on TV commercials for St. Jude's, which I do understand, because he's cut as a bug's ear. But, I also understand he's met a lot of music stars, been given VIP seating and backstage passes to every musical act he enjoys. He likes wrestling, so the WWE has adopted him and made him our poster child for Wrestlemania, in a sense. If he lives, don't you think it'll be a little hard for him to adjust from being the center of the universe to just a kid?"

"Maybe, but who says he's going to live?" Seth protested. "More likely than not, he won't, so, why not indulge him a little while he's on this planet?"

"Are you okay?" Dean asked, looking at him. "You seem a little too defensive of Preston, here. Am I touching a sore spot?"

"No," Seth said. "I'm fine." Although he wondered himself why he was being so protective of Preston's reputation. Dean was merely voicing some of the thoughts that had been floating around inside Seth's head, Dean just had the courage to say them out loud, at least to Seth.

"I'm just remembering Payton's prayers at lunch," Dean said. "As I said, I'm not a praying man, but I did have some exposure to religion as a kid, I was taught to pray. And before meals, prayers usually start with thanking God or Jesus that you have food on your plate. 'Thank you God, for this food we are about to eat.' It's almost mandatory. The first prayer kids are taught besides, 'Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep,' is 'God is great, God is good, let us thank him for our food, Amen.'" Payton never mentioned the food. All she prayed about was Preston. She was grateful _Preston_ was having a good day, she wanted God to save _Preston."_

"Well, why wouldn't she?" Seth asked, still wondering why he was Preston's advocate in this debate. "He's her brother, he's got a terminal illness. If he were my baby brother, I'd never say a prayer without including him."

_"Including,_ " Dean repeated. "But this wasn't _including_ Preston, this was _only_ Preston. She didn't pray for any other sick kids and I'm sure she's met a lot traveling around with Preston. She didn't pray that God would watch out over her Mom and Dad who probably are under a lot of strain with Preston. She didn't thank God for her food, or that you had volunteered to take her to lunch and a back stage tour-"

"-she doesn't _owe_ me anything like that!" Seth interrupted, his voice a little louder than he intended it to be, "or God. She prayed for her sick brother. There's nothing wrong with that!"

"I didn't say there is," Dean said, his voice still casual and not the least bit ruffled. "I'm just saying that it seems a little odd that Preston is the only one worth praying about in that family. The only one worth praying for in her life, it seems. I don't know what the kid says after she goes through the whole, 'Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep,' prayer at night, but when it comes to the part where she lists off the 'God bless so and so' part, I'd bet you fifty bucks the first person is Preston. And I'd bet you twenty five more that Preston is the _only_ one she asks God to bless."

"What are you getting at, Dean?" Seth asked, trying not to scowl.

"Nothing," Dean said, getting to his feet. "Just making conversation." He looked at the clock on the wall. Show's over, the fans with the passes will be coming back stage. We'd better not be seen together, since we're still supposedly enemies." Before Seth could answer, Dean walked out the door.

Seth sat down on the bench to wait a few minutes before leaving himself. He was still a little upset with Dean, not because Dean was crazy, but because as unpolitically correct as he was, he was also completely right.

_End of Part Two_


	3. Chapter 3

A few minutes after Dean had left, Seth left the locker room too, heading to the backstage area where the meet and greets were held. He was a little surprised to see Preston and his family there, he thought that they might have wanted to take Preston home after the show, because he had been there almost all day. But apparently, the nap Dean had seen him take had revived him, because he was alert and happy to be with his WWE buddies again. Dolph was holding him, telling him how awesome he was, Andrea and Myron standing close. Payton was there too, but she was standing off to the side. When Seth saw her, he smiled and waved. She hesitated, then smiled and waved back. Fortunately, Preston didn't see and offer his opinion on if Payton should be allowed to even wave at Seth. 

He would have liked to have gone over and speak to Payton again, tell her that he didn't blame her for what happened with Preston, just in case she still felt bad about the slap, but he didn't want to push Preston's buttons or fall into another situation where he had to deal with a six year old calling him out as the bad man. Besides, he had plenty of backstage fans of his own who wanted his autograph, to take selfies with him, and ask him questions, so he was fairly busy. 

The next day he had an interview with a local morning radio show, then another one with a local cable sports show. When he was done with those, he barely had time for two hours at the gym, before he had to report to the arena again for the Smackdown taping. He had drunk a protein drink for breakfast, and eschewed from the donuts and pastry offered to him at both interviews. When he went for one of the protein/energy bars in his gym bag, he was dismayed to realize he was out. By the time he got to the arena, he was quite hungry. 

Walking by the same backstage lounge as yesterday, he saw an almost duplicate the same scene, too. Preston with his favorite wrestlers and divas, his parents keeping close eye on their son, and Payton in the corner. She wore another too-large T-shirt, one of Daniel Bryan's this time, and was sitting on the same window ledge even sitting in the same forlorn position, arms wrapped around her knees. Her hair was back to looking as if it had barely met a comb or brush that day.

This time Seth didn't hesitate. He walked in, walked over to her and asked her if she wanted to go get lunch with him again. She grinned and quickly agreed. He didn't as much ask her parents, than told them he was going down to catering and wanted her to tag along. They agreed and soon enough the two were heading down the hall again. 

"I'm sorry about Preston," she told him, the moment they were out of the room. "He was kind of cranky yesterday, he'd had a pretty long day." 

"I don't blame you for Preston," he said. He was holding her hand again too, and today she was doing a cross between a skip and a walk that he found rather endearing. The last time he visited Roman's family, he and Leah had gone for a walk and she had done the same thing, swinging his arm back and forth with hers, as if it was some type of dance that even if he didn't know the steps, she could still make him part of it. It must be a little girl thing, he thought, pretty sure he had never done it when he was younger. "Your parents didn't mind about the T-shirts and hoodie you got yesterday, did they?" he asked her. 

She shook her head. "I just can't wear them around Preston," she said, looking a little sad. 

When are you not around Preston? he wanted to ask, but didn't. "That's okay," he said instead, not wanting her to feel any worse than she obviously did. "Maybe you can wear them like night shirts or something?"

"Maybe." She frowned. "I could have worn them to grandma and grandpa's, but I don't go there anymore." 

"Oh?" Before he could think if it was a good idea to pry, he found himself asking, "Why not?" 

She shrugged and looked sad for a moment. "Mom and Dad said I can't go there anymore. I used to go there sometimes when they had to take Preston to St. Jude's, so I could go to school. Then, Mom and Dad took me out of school. I think that's what made everyone upset. Grandma and Grandpa wanted me to keep going to school." 

She isn't going to school? Seth thought, then realized that of course she wasn't. If she were in school, she wouldn't be traveling around with her family, going to different WWE events. They were in Nebraska now, not too far from Iowa, but far enough that they hadn't gone home last night and come back this morning, they had spent the night at a hotel. "Are you home schooled?" he asked, trying to sound casual. 

She shrugged. "Yeah. I guess. I have workbooks and stuff I do. Mom and Dad check them sometimes to make sure I'm doing them right."

Seth had a funny feeling "Sometimes" was closer to "Rarely." It seemed odd to him that a family with so much on its plate would add the burden of home schooling their daughter especially when there were grandparents that would have been willing to help out. But he said nothing, feeling like he was trying to get a child to talk badly about her family. He had found himself talking about Payton to Kayla last night when the spoke on the phone, something they tried to do every night for at least a half an hour. Seth found he didn't sleep as well on those nights when they didn't have that time. Kayla had teased him about his new 'girl friend,' but thought it was nice that Seth had taken the girl under his wing for a bit. Seth hadn't told her about Preston hitting him at the show, it was during a commercial and he didn't want sound as if he had something negative to say about a sick child. Despite what Dean said, Seth felt that it was more than likely he was over reacting to Preston. Everyone else thought Preston was adorable, he was most likely being too hard on the kid because he and the kid just didn't get along.

It was the same catering company and other than a few dishes removed and other ones substituted, lunch was pretty much the same yesterday as it was today. Payton picked the same dishes too, except instead of green beans she went with cooked carrots and her salad was bigger. 

The catering area was quiet, so they sat down alone at a table together. Payton prayed again, the same prayer as yesterday, thanking God that Preston was having a good day and requesting Preston be cured. Seth respectfully waited for her to finish before he spoke. "I probably shouldn't have gone over to you last night," Seth remarked. "That was probably the last straw for Preston."

"I'm glad you did," Payton said, as she put a forkful of salad in her mouth and chewed thoughtfully. 

"Yeah, but I might have damaged your rep," Seth teased as he opened up the bottle of grape flavored water for her, and poured some in cup. "Consorting with the bad guys and all." 

She grinned. "I like bad guys," she reminded him. 

"Yeah," He put the lid on the cup and put a straw in it and handed it to her. "You said you liked our theme music better."

She giggled this time, a high noise, but sweet in its enthusiasm and innocence. "No, I didn't!" She shook her head vigorously too. "I like Ziggler's song more than yours."

"Ouch!" He put his hand over his heart, mocking a gun shot. "You're hurting my pride!" 

"That's not your fault, silly," she informed him. "You don't pick your music, do you?"

"Nope," he shook his head, opening his own bottle of water. He didn't bother with a cup or straw, he just drank from the plastic bottle. "We have someone who writes it for us." 

"Well then." She speared a tomato wedge and popped it in her mouth. "I said I like bad guys because they do what they want and never feel bad about it." 

"Sometimes I feel bad about things," he said, a small grin playing over his lips.

"You do?" she looked surprised.

"Yeah, when my evil plans don't work, I feel really bad." 

She stared at him for a moment, letting the words sink in then laughed. "No, that's not what I'm talking 'bout, either!" 

"Then what do you mean?" he asked.

She had just put a forkful of chicken in her mouth and she chewed thoughtfully for a moment, then took a sip of grape water. "Bad guys cheat and they don't care as long as they win. I mean, I don't want to cheat, but part of the reason I don't want to cheat is because I'd feel bad if I did. I wouldn't feel like the win meant anything." 

He smiled. "And you think bad guys never have that feeling?"

She nodded. "Yeah, 'cause if they did, they'd stop cheating." 

He tried not to laugh, but a small chuckle escaped anyway. She had a good point in a relatively simple way. She wasn't thinking about what the stakes would be, for example a promise of more money might urge folks to cheat, even if it did make them feel bad. 

"Also, bad guys don't feel bad about having bad thoughts," she continued, not seeming to notice his amusement. "You never hear a bad guy going, 'he got sick and it's my fault, 'cause I had bad thoughts.'" 

His amusement stopped as he sensed there was more going on than idol observation. "Do you feel responsible for things because you have bad thoughts?" he asked her.

She frowned and stabbed a carrot slice with her fork, almost viciously, and put it in her mouth. She took so long to chew that Seth was starting to think she wasn't going to answer, when she spoke up. "The Bible says that thinking things is as bad as doing them." 

Now it was his turn to focus on his food. He didn't want to interfere with the religious training she was receiving from her parents and her church, but this was the type of thing that made him wonder. He had his own beliefs and ideals, but it bothered him that a lot of religions seemed to be about making people feel bad for everything. That they created an ideal no one could live up to, so they could make you feel bad for failing to live up to the impossible. To say that thoughts were as bad as deeds sent out a strong message, "You'll never be good enough for the God you worship." It also dumped a load of guilt if you did have bad thoughts and something bad happened. Was it fate? Or did your bad thought somehow cause God to do bad things? 

After playing with his food for awhile, Seth finally spoke, "Do you really feel God would punish someone for the thoughts you have?" 

Payton shrugged, frowned, and then became fascinated with her food again, not in eating it, but staring at it. "I don't know," she finally admitted. "It doesn't seem right that you can think something bad and it would happen to that person, but what if it does?" She looked away from her plate, into his eyes. "What happens if you are angry, really angry, and you think that you... hate someone or something and then something really terrible happens to them? Did God make that happen? Just to show you that your thoughts are bad?"

"I don't think so," Seth said, picking his words as carefully as if each one was capable of exploding. "It doesn't seem right to me that God would punish one person because another person had bad thoughts about them. It doesn't make sense, does it? Because everyone gets mad at someone and everyone has had someone mad at them, at least sometimes in their lives, right?" He paused, giving her a chance to nod, which she did. "Okay, so if God punished someone for having bad thoughts about another person, by actually allowing bad things to happen to that other person, don't you think everyone would be constantly having bad things happen to them? I mean, everyone has bad thoughts sometimes. But that's all they are is thoughts. Thoughts don't hurt people, actions do." 

"I guess," she said, hesitantly, as if she wasn't sure if she agreed or not.

"Let's look at the other side of the coin," he said, wanting to get back on safer ground. "If bad thoughts are just the same as doing bad things, then the reverse would be true too, that good thoughts would be the same as doing good things, right?" He paused again to let her absorb this, and when she nodded, he continued. "So, I guess that would mean that if I see someone in trouble, I don't have to help them, I just have to think it, right?" He paused and thought quickly of an example he could use. "If I see someone holding too much in their hands and they need the door open for them, I don't really have to go hold open the door. Just thinking that I wish they could get out of the door will make that happen. Right?"

"No," she disagreed. "You have to open the door." 

"Yeah," Seth said, nodding. "All the good thoughts won't help if someone doesn't hold open the door. I think bad thoughts work the same way. I can think bad thoughts about someone and it isn't nice for me to do that, but they're still just thoughts. My bad thoughts won't hurt someone else unless I act on them. The only person my bad thoughts hurt is me. Because thinking bad thoughts all the time isn't good for you. But the occasional bad thought, especially if that person is really getting on your last nerve is normal. I don't think God would punish someone just because someone else had bad thoughts about them."

Her brow furrowed and it was obvious she was thinking hard about this. She opened her mouth a couple times as if to speak, then closed it. Finally, she nodded and went back to eating, and Seth understood she was putting an end to the topic. He had a feeling she would reflect on his words later and he hoped that maybe they would bring a small sense of comfort to her. 

Before they could start discussing anything else, Dean walked into the area, looked around, then headed directly to their table. "Hey, Payton, hey, Seth," he began and before either of them could return his greeting he continued, "this place has an awesome boiler room, Roman and I checked it out."

Seth had a feeling where this conversation was going, but decided to let Dean play it out. "Oh? Did you two film some promos?" 

"Actually, I did," Dean admitted. "Roman filmed his in the locker room. But that's not what I'm here about. Seth, don't you get it, there is an awesome boiler room."

"Yeah, we heard you the first time," Seth said.

"Yeah, you heard," Dean said, "but you don't get it. This place has an awesome boiler room, and we have access to it." 

"And that means?"

Dean shook his head, looking as if he was dismayed at how dense Seth was being. "Nerf, Seth. It means Nerf."

"Dean, I have company," Seth said, motioning to Payton.

"So? Let her play too, we've got enough weapons." Dean overrode Seth's objections easily. "C'mon, Seth, you've got to see this place, it's perfect."

Seth looked at Payton. "Have you ever played with a Nerf gun before?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I've seen them though. Preston has a Nerf basketball in his room, and I've played with that, but I've never played with Nerf guns before."

They didn't have all the time in the world, Seth knew that, but they had some and he had a feeling Payton would enjoy their games. "Would you like to play with us?"

Payton nodded, not saying anything, just agreeing with her eyes big and shining bright, as if she'd been offered a trip to Disney World. Seth looked at Dean. "All right, we just have to stop at the locker room we're using so I can get my Nerf gear." 

"C'mon then, let's go!" Dean said, his voice eager. Nerf had started out as Seth's idea, from back when they were the Shield and did almost everything together, when it came to work. Too often they found themselves with small pockets of time, never more than three hours, usually closer to an hour, where they didn't have time to do anything but wait. For a show to start, an interview to begin, for a hospital to allow visitors, it didn't matter. The waiting could drive you crazy and Roman and Dean would often get bored and start arguing and eventually roughhousing. Seth had gotten sick of it and had bought each of them a Nerf Maverick and that's how it started. Soon they expanded their weapons to include others. But in truth, Dean had taken to the game more than any of them, even learning how to modify some of his weapons. Of course, Dean enjoyed shooting real guns too, but that wasn't always possible on the road either. 

 

Less than ten minutes later, there were six of them were headed to the boiler room. Jimmy and Jey Uso had seen them leaving their locker room, weapons in hand, and asked to join in. They had all played together before, and since with Nerf, the motto often was, "Three is good, six is better," they were quickly allowed. Seth had given Payton his Maverick with the upgraded sonic bullets. It was his favorite Nerf weapon, but it was also the easiest to operate, and with the sonic ammo, it might even be the most fun. He had his Nerf N-Strike Elite Strongarm instead. Roman carried his personal favorite, his Longshot CS-6, Dean his Rayven CS-18, a gun that had once been confiscated by Triple H for a night, after Dean had shot him with it, but, Dean had made sure to get it back. The Uso's had identical Nerf N-Strike Elite Retaliators blasters. Payton also held a pair of dollar store protective goggles on her arm. Yes, they knew they should always wear protective eye gear, but they often forgot. Seth wasn't going to take a chance with Payton. 

 

End of Part 3


	4. Chapter 4

When Dean opened the door that lead into the basemen, Seth let out a long whistle as he got his first glimpse of the boiler room. It was everything a good boiler room / Nerf war grounds should be. There were lots of large pipes running about the ceiling, and lots of big metal things on the ground, most safely behind chain link fences. There were wide hallways for easy access with huge cement supports to hide around. And, it was surprisingly clean for a boiler room. The stadium was only five years old or so, but experience had taught them that boiler rooms could become filthy in a short amount of time. It was obvious that whoever was in charge of this place, made sure the boiler room was kept relatively clean. The concrete floor even had a thick, recent looking coat of gray industrial paint on it. There were stairs and metal grating walkways to access upper parts of the boiler and other equipment down here. This was a serious room, it hadn't been re-purposed to double as a storage area, as seemed to be the fate of many boiler rooms, it seemed still be dedicated to only one thing, to hold the big equipment needed to keep this stadium running efficiently.

"Very nice," Seth said, as he walked around a little bit, to get the feel of it. "Perfect for some good Nerfing." It even had a faint smell of machine oil and the weird, faintly stagnant smell from when water turned to steam. It helped give the room a futuristic, industrial feel to it. It wasn't too hard to imagine when you were here, that there was panic going on in the outside world and they had found their way in here to escape the chaos. Of course, they would make their own chaos inside, but that was the point of Nerfing, wasn't it?

"That's what we thought," Dean said, grinning. "I suggest we play Capture the Flag. There's four of us, and I grabbed a couple bandanas." He held out the objects in question, two dollar store bandanas, one in red, the other in navy blue.

"Sounds good," Roman said. Seth agreed, looking at Payton, who nodded too, even though Seth had the feeling she had no clue what Capture the Flag was.

"I suggest Roman and us against you three. Family versus..." Jimmy paused looking at Seth, Dean and Payton and frowned. "You pale guys? I don't know what you want to call yourselves."

"How about, we're the Red team?" Seth suggested, taking the blue bandana from Dean and tossing it to Roman, who caught it easily. "We'll be the red team, you can be the blue team."

"I wanted to be red!" Jey protested, but he was grinning.

"Too bad," Seth said. "Your brother picked the teams, we get to pick our flag color. We want red." He didn't add that he probably would have picked the same teams, he wanted to make sure Payton was on his team because he was looking out for her, and Dean was a good player. Roman was too, but Dean was crazy and reckless, while Seth was cautious and careful. Roman was somewhere in the middle. With looking out for Payton as well as himself, Seth figured he needed a little craziness on his side.

The Red team would put their flag on the North side of the long room, the Blue team would cover the south. Each team had two minutes to discuss their strategy before the battle would begin. Since Dean and Seth had played so often that Seth used their two minutes to explain to Payton how the game worked, using rules they had found online, but modified for their purposes, as most of their Nerf games seemed to be. "The object of the game is to get their flag and bring it back to our base," Seth said, bending down, hands on his knees so he was eye to eye with Payton. The flag has to be visible and it can't be tied to anything." The last one was a rule made when Roman, who was really good at making knots, had tied the bandana in such a way no one could undo it. "And it has to be visible, your team can't hide it. You can guard it, though. If you get the flag and are hit bringing it back, then they can take back their flag and put it back. You have to come back over to where our flag is, before you can start out again.

"What if someone shoots me as I'm heading back after being shot?" Payton asked, her brow furrowed as she tried to quickly absorb and memorize all this information being given to her.

"Ignore it, you're immune while you're returning," Dean filled in, "When you've been shot and you're returning to base, we call it ghosting and you can't hurt a ghost." Seth nodded.

"What if I run out of ammo?" Payton asked.

"Yell, 'time' as loud as you can," Seth fielded this one. "You have thirty seconds to gather up as much ammo as you can and in that thirty seconds hits don't count. But the best thing is to try to gather ammo as you're playing. Stick it in your pockets and when you get a chance, reload. But you have plenty of ammo, right?" He had made sure to give her all the ammo he had for the Maverick, including three full ammo cases she now had clipped around the waistband of her jeans. She had tucked in the too-long t-shirt the best she could to have easier access. Seth wasn't too worried though, Roman and the Uso's were not going to take advantage of a young girl trying to gather ammo. Payton nodded.

"Any other questions?" Dean asked, impatient to get the game started. "We've got under thirty seconds before we start."

"No, I get it," Payton said as she put on the eye protection Seth had given her.

Dean was using a stopwatch application on his cell phone. When it beeped, he yelled out, "Time's up!" and the game began.

Dean had volunteered to be the first to stay close to the flag to defend it, so Payton and Seth started down the hall both trying to be careful and quick, since both things were of equal importance. Unlike when they usually played Capture the Flag, Seth wasn't splitting up from Payton so they both went down the hall together. Seth wasn't sure that being in a strange place might prove to be too much for the little girl and didn't want her to get disorientated.

Jimmy and Jey had taken the "divide and conqueror" strategy, each taking a different hallway. The boiler room had machinery and equipment on all four sides against the wall, then in the center, leaving two wide hallways. Seth looked up and spotted Jimmy just as Jimmy spotted them, but with quick thinking, he was able to leap behind a cement support column easily over three feet in diameter, pulling Payton with him. A foam bullet went whizzing by, going right through where they would be standing. "Crouch down low," Seth half whispered, half mouthed to Payton, who nodded, her eyes shining. "When I hold up two fingers, lean out to the left and start firing. I'll be up higher and take the right. Got it? Okay," he held up one finger, then another. She leaned to the left around the column, him to the right and they began firing. Jimmy tried to duck behind another column, but while he was expecting Seth to fire on him, he had apparently forgotten about Payton and she got him, right at the knees. He let out a mock shriek and fell to the ground.

"Did I hurt him?" Payton asked, looking alarmed.

Seth shook his head. "He's fine, he's just hamming it up." Louder, he called to Jimmy, "Stop faking and get back to the flag!"

"No fair!" Jimmy shouted, his voice much more cheerful than his words would indicate. "Two against one!"

"Yeah, and this means your brother has a clear shot to the flag," Seth said, "So quit yer bit-bellyaching!" Even as he was saying it, Jimmy was heading back towards his teams flag. Now it would be Roman's turn to venture forth, as it would be Jimmy's to guard the flag.

"Careful," Seth warned Payton. "Roman knows me really well, so he's trickier for me to avoid. He knows the type of places I like to hide."

Payton nodded, her expression serious, but her eyes were still glittering and her cheeks were pink. It was obvious she was enjoying this. "I got him," she whispered, "I got Mr. Uso!"

"Yeah, you did, I'm glad you're on my team," Seth whispered back.

They made their way up the hall, hearing Roman taking Jimmy to task. "You got shot by a kid?" he was saying. "A little girl? Man, you are a disgrace!"

"Hey!" Jimmy defended himself. "That 'little girl' has awesome aim!"

"Excuses, excuses," Roman said, shaking his head sadly, "You watch the flag now. I'll take sell out Seth and the kid out. I shouldn't have sent a boy to do a man's job."

"Bite me, Cous," was Jimmy's response. "I don't think you'll fare any better."

Meanwhile, they heard commotion behind them. Obviously, Jey had gotten to the red flag and thus, to Dean. Dean, however, wasn't going to just let Jey waltz in and have the flag. Soon enough, they could hear Dean's laughter. "Not this time, Uso!" he cackled. "Back to your base, this flag is safe!"

"Sonofa-," Jey muttered, but didn't finish the though, mostly likely because he knew there was a kid here. They heard the sound of his feet running up the hall towards his base. Slowly and carefully, they started out behind the support post.

And were both hit quickly by Roman, who had taken advantage of the noise his cousin had made to sneak up on them. "Jerk!" Seth called out, sounding madder than he really was. Roman was smirking, of course, looking pleased with himself.

"Spoken like a loser!" Roman called out. "Back to the base, dead man and kid!"

"No fair!" Payton called too, but the grin on her face indicated her protests were tokens. They turned and ran down to Dean.

"Aw man," Dean said, when he saw them. "No flag?" He shook his head. "Well, now both of you can watch the flag. Let the real Nerf pro show you how it's done." He waited until they were right up to where the flag was stuck between two links on a chain link fence that was there to keep the unauthorized people from getting to the equipment. Unauthorized people such as five wrestlers and a little girl playing with Nerf guns. Some ammo had already gone inside the fence, ammo they knew they could all kiss good bye. There were a lot of arenas out there that had unclaimed ammo in them.

The were barely situated close to the flag, and Dean out of sight, when Seth heard the sound of footsteps, trying to walk lightly, but not completely succeeding. "I think that's Roman coming," he whispered. "Go, hide behind that support column," he pointed to another one of those thick cement columns. "He'll see me and try to take me out, He'll have forgotten about you. Get him before he gets the flag."

She nodded and slipped behind the column, just in time. Roman appeared at the end of the hall. Seth made like he was looking up the other hallway. Keeping a close eye and his gun trained on Seth, Roman sneaked towards the flag. Just as his fingers were reaching for the bandana, Payton leaned around the column and fired. Before Roman could realize what was happening and take aim, she hit him in the hip. Roman whipped around, but he had been hit.

"Gotcha!" Payton shouted, and started jumping up and down in triumph.

"Aw, crap!" Roman shook his head, but he was grinning. "No fair, two against one!"

"Quit 'cher whining and head back to your HQ," Seth said, showing no mercy on his brother by choice. "She got you, fair and square."

"Yeah, yeah," Roman said, as he turned and grinned to Payton. "Good shooting, Pay." With that, he headed back up the hall to where his flag was.

He was barely gone when Dean returned, without the flag. "Jey got me," he muttered.

"Oh, what happened to Mister, 'I'll-show-you-how-it's-done'?" Seth teased.

"Yeah? Well, there are two of you, let's see if you can do it." Dean retorted. He took his place by the flag, but before Seth and Payton could head off, he spun to the left and fired his gun, hitting Jey square in the chest. "Gotcha, sucker!"

"Aw, man!" Jey exclaimed, tossing the bullet he'd been shot with back to Dean. "You guys are on fire today! No fair!" He turned and jogged down the hall.

Meanwhile, Seth and Payton were heading carefully down the hall. Seth was impressed with Payton, she seemed to have a natural instinct for this and her footsteps were almost silent. Seth pulled her behind another column to go over some quick plans. "When we get up there, you take cover. There's a column up there. I think Roman will be flag guard by then, but I'll distract him. You grab the flag and run like the wind, okay?"

She nodded, then looked worried. "What if he shoots me?"

"Then we return back to our flag and try again," Seth said, ruffling her hair. "It's just a game, don't worry about it. We like to win, but it isn't the most important thing. The important thing is that we have fun. Got it?"

She nodded. "Got it. And I'll do my best!"

"I know you will."

They quickly, but quietly made their way up to the enemy flag, which was indeed being watch by Roman. Seth nodded to Payton who slipped behind the column. Seth started sneaking over the deliberately paused, covered his nose and pretended to stifle a sneeze. Roman whipped around aiming his gun. The two men fired at about the same time, each hitting the other. "I got you first!" Seth yelled.

"No way, Rollins, I got you first,!" Roman protested.

"In your dreams, Reigns!" Seth argued back, walking closer to the taller man. "You're down!"

"You're down!" Roman said, stepping closer to Seth so he was right in his face.

"Don't argue with me!" Seth said, not backing down. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Payton slip out from behind the column and run for the flag. Seth wanted to keep Roman distracted, so he smashed his index finger into Roman's chest. "I got _you_ first! I saw that shot hit you before I felt yours hit me! So _you_ are hit!"

"No!" Roman said, right back, "I saw my shot hit _you_ before _I_ felt yours!"

Seth watched Payton's fingers closed around the flag and she pulled it free from the chain link fence. She tucked it into her shirt and started running down the hall. He grinned to Roman. "All right, I guess you did get me." He turned and started jogging down the hall.

"Damned right!" Roman called after him, then turned and looked at where the flag was supposed to be. "Aw shi- _shoot!"_ he yelled then took off down the hall after them.

But Seth had bought Payton enough time. By the time they got to the red base, Payton was jumping up and down, showing off the blue flag. Dean hugged the girl and lifted her up in the air. "We win!" He shouted, holding the young girl, who waved the blue bandanna triumphantly. "In your face, blue team!"

When Seth got there, he saw Payton's face was glowing brighter than he'd ever seen it. It was as if a light had gone on inside of her. Her cheeks were pink from the exertion and her eyes were sparkling. "I did it!" she shouted. "I got the flag! Thank you, Seth!" When Dean put her down, she ran over and threw her arms around Seth, hugging him tightly. Seth lifted her off the ground, hugging her back and spinning her around.

"You're the best," he exclaimed. "Any time we're around and we can play Nerf? I want you on my team!"

Payton beamed and Seth had the feeling this might have been the most fun she had in a very, very, long time.


	5. Chapter 5

They decided to stop by catering again after the Nerf war, Jimmy and Jey so they could eat, everyone else because they all wanted to get something to drink. The basement, if not dusty, had been a little dry. As they headed towards catering, Seth noticed Payton was going from excited and happy to quiet again. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

She nodded and said, "I'm a little tired." But there was a look in her eyes that just told Seth she was merely saying what she thought he wanted to hear. He was surprised at how quickly he was getting to know Payton, not just on the surface, but enough to read her emotions in her body language.

But, knowing someone's body language didn't mean he knew what to say or if he even had the right to pry. He hesitated. He was holding her hand and they'd fallen behind Dean, Roman and the twins. "Are you _sure_ that's it?" he finally asked, figuring if she persisted in telling him her only problem was being physically tired, he would accept it.

She bit her lip, studying him for a moment. "We have to go to the hospital tomorrow," she finally said.

"Are you worried about your brother?" he asked, pausing to give them even more space from the others.

She nodded, but it was a weary nod. "Yeah, a little. I'm always worried about Preston, but he's doing okay. He's over half way done with his chemo."

He nodded, encouraging her to speak, finding it a little bit heartbreaking that her vocabulary included words like chemo. He felt a rush of sympathy for Preston too, because he was pretty sure Preston knew those words too, along with a lot of others that no child should ever know.

"I-I've had fun," she finally said. "I-I like you."

He smiled. "I've had fun too, these last couple days, and I like you, too." Then he realized what she might be hinting at. Odds were that Dolph would keep in touch with Preston, probably already was. No one considered it odd when the favorite Make a Wish child and their favorite wrestler stayed in touch. Seth wasn't sure if Preston knew how to write, but if he did, it would be a given that Dolph and Preston, possibly even Daniel and Preston would text and email each other. If that wasn't possible, there would be the occasional phone call when time allowed and when situations called for it. Seth was sure Dolph knew Preston would be going to the hospital for his treatments tomorrow and would call before, after, or both to see how things had gone. That would be normal; that would be expected. But no one would be expected to keep in touch with Payton. Payton was fine, Seth was under no obligation to befriend Payton, he had done that on his own. He stopped, and knelt down so he could look into her eyes. "We can keep in touch, Payton. I'll give you my email address and maybe we can even text each other. My schedule is pretty busy, but Roman and Dean find time to text their kids, I can find time to text with you. And I'd like to do that."

She looked down at her feet. "I don't have a computer anymore," she mumbled. "Well, I do, but it's in Preston's room an' every time I go to use it, he suddenly wants to use it."

"Why is your computer in Preston's room?" he asked, before he could stop himself, because part of him suspected why this was and he wanted to confirm it.

"Preston has a lot of friends who email him," Payton explained. "He broke his laptop an' my parents thought we should share."

He could understand that odds were the Caldwells were having financial problems. God knew a sick child could drain resources quickly, even with places like St. Jude's and insurance. What he didn't like though, was that Preston had broken his laptop and Payton had to pay the price. He remembered his last laptop, he had donated it to a local charity that in turn gave them to school children who couldn't afford one. He wished now he had kept it, he would have given it to Payton. He would have called Kayla and asked her to mail it today. "Do your parents have a cell phone you can text with?" he asked, even though he had a funny feeling that if they did have a cell phone, and likely they did, they weren't going to let their daughter text on it.

He was not surprised at all when Payton shook her head, no. "It's important," she mumbled. "The phone is not for play." She confirmed his other suspicion too, when she added, "We don't have a regular phone either, anymore."

"Well, we'll find a way," he said, slowly, trying to think. "I'll give you my email address, there must be some times when you have access to a computer, aren't there?"

She nodded. "The hospital has an area for kids," she made a gesture towards herself, "kids like me, who aren't sick but have sick brothers and sisters. There are computers in there. Of course, everyone wants to use them, but I can get on them sometimes. I have checked my email. A couple friends from school used to write me." She looked down at her feet. "They don't anymore. Probably got tired of me not getting back to them very fast."

"Well, I don't care how long it takes for you to write me back," he assured her, but he was thinking about another way as well. "I might take awhile to get back to you because I'm busy too. We'll both understand, right?"

She nodded, finally looking at him, a shy smile on her face. He could see in that smile the young woman she would grow up to be and he saw she would be a heart breaker. No, she would not be a million dollar beauty, no one would suggest she should be the next top model, but she had beautifully expressive eyes and her smile was warm and sweet. There would be boys who would do whatever they could to get her to smile, because when she smiled at you, you felt you were the only person in her mind, the only one she was thinking about. "I would like that."

Seth found himself thinking of those boys that would one day date her. He had the feeling that if he were still in touch with her by then, and had the chance to meet any of these boys, none of them would be good enough for her. He wondered if Payton's father would feel the same way.

* * *

 

When they got to catering, they barely gotten water and sat down with Dean and Roman, when Eric Rowan came up and told him they could use the ring to practice for their match that night. Seth was about to say that he would bring Payton back to her parents, but then changed his mind. "Do you want to watch us practice?" he asked. He had the feeling Payton knew that wrestling was scripted, she hadn't questioned why he was still friends with Roman and Dean, even though in the show they acted like enemies. Some kids believed for a long time, others picked up almost instinctively, that wrestling was just like any other form of entertainment, that it was taking place in some make believe world. Payton seemed to be of the second school.

Payton nodded, her eyes sparking again. "Really? I can watch?"

"Sure."

As they were headed to the arena and the ring, they passed the Promotions office again. Seth saw Mitchy inside with two of the interns and got an idea. "Hey, you two go on ahead, I'll be with you in a minute," he called said. "I just have to talk to Mitchy for a second." He looked at Payton, "Do you mind going ahead with Eric?"

She shook her head and left with Eric, walking along side of him. For all of Eric's rough appearance, he really was good with kids, at least the ones that could get past the appearance, which Payton seemed fine with. As usual before a show, the halls backstage were a frenzy of activity. Seth watched as Eric offered his hand and Payton hesitated, then took it. He noticed that she didn't dance along side Eric and felt a surge of pleasure at that, as if he were assuring himself that she liked him more than Eric. He felt ashamed of that surge, he was an adult, he shouldn't care who Payton liked, as long as they weren't someone who would do the girl or others, harm. But even though he was feeling shame, he still felt pleased.

When they were far enough down the hall that Seth was sure they wouldn't hear him, he went into the Promotions office. "Hey, Mitchy,"

"Hey yourself," she said. "Here for more T-shirts for your friend?"

He shook his head and motioned to the interns. "Is there any chance I can borrow one of your workers to run an errand for me?"

Mitchy pretended to contemplate this for moment, then shook her head. "Feel free, I've been mostly giving them busy work. She looked at the interns, one male, one female. Seth didn't know their names, interns were a rapidly changing lot around here. "Risa, Larry, which one of you wants to run and errand for Seth, here?"

"I will," Risa quickly said, earning her a look of dismay from Larry, who seemed to have hoped he'd be the one to get away from the sorting and busywork Mitchy was having them do.

"Fine," Seth said. He explain what he wanted and gave her the money he thought she would need and then added more in case it was more expensive than he thought. "I'll be in the arena with Rowin, practicing for the show tonight," he said. "Can you bring it there?"

She nodded again as she folded the money and put it in her pocket. "There's a Walmart just down the street, I'm sure they'll have it. I'll be back in a jiffy."

"Thanks." He smiled at the term "jiffy," it was an expression he hadn't heard in quite awhile, right up there with "two shakes of a lamb's tail." It had a quaintly old fashioned feeling to it. He thanked Mitchy again for letting him send Risa out for him. Strictly speaking, interns were not here to run errands for wrestlers, but they often did. Seth was grateful that Mitchy didn't mind.

 

* * *

 

When he got out to the arena, Eric and Payton were talking. When she saw him, she got out of the ring and went off to the side quietly to watch without being prompted. Seth appreciated that, other times there were kids at practice, they wanted to stay in that ring. Even Neil, who he looked at as a surrogate nephew and a good kid, had been unable to resist running the ropes, although to be fair, Dean had been eager to have his son play in the ring. Dean was convinced Neil was going to grow up to be a far better wrestler than he was and loved every chance he could get to show the kid off.

Ring practice time was valuable and thus, given sparingly, especially if you were not the main event, which Seth and Eric were not. So, it wasn't surprising that just as they were finishing up, Risa came in holding a Walmart bag, having finished her errand. Seth met her on the ramp and she handed him the bag. "The receipt and the change is in there, too," she said. "And I set it all up too, just like you wanted."

"Thanks," he said. "I appreciate it."

"Any time." She smiled and left.

Seth walked over to Payton. "I have something for you."

"For me?" She pointed to herself, another one of those shy, sweet, smiles coming to her lips, as if she was amazed someone might want to give her a gift.

"Uh-huh," he said, nodding too. He opened the bag and pulled out what Risa had picked up for him, which was a pay-as-you-go Smartphone. "I'm going to guess you know what this is?"

She nodded, not saying a word, just looking from him to the phone and back to him, as if she was waiting for him to pull it back and yell "Psych!"

"Well, you were talking about how you don't have access to a lap top all the time, and this, well, it's almost like a laptop in itself." He handed her the phone and she took it carefully, as if it were something fragile that might shatter in her hands. "You can surf the web, and send emails with it." He had considered getting her just a regular phone and service that they could use to just text and call, but then he thought she might appreciate having the web, especially since she was home schooled. Plus, she probably had a Facebook or at least something like a Facebook, but for younger kids. He wasn't sure, but Leah seemed to find the internet an important part of her life, Seth was pretty sure Payton had too, before her computer had been delegated to Payton's room.

"And we can text!" she exclaimed, "Oh wow!" She clutched the phone to her chest for a moment, as if it had gone from being something fragile into a favorite stuffed toy. Then she looked at him. "Are-are you sure?"

He nodded. In truth, he could afford the phone, along with the year prepay of unlimited talk, text, and internet. No, it wasn't a cheap present, but something told him that it would be a good idea to get her a phone she could use for herself if needed. I've got the manual and stuff here too, for you. Do you think you can figure it out?"

She nodded. "My grandma and grandpa had one, I helped them get it all set up." She frowned, looking at the phone then looking at him. "A-are you going to tell my folks about this?" Her voice was casual, but he heard the worry in it. She was afraid he would tell her parents and they would either insist he take the phone back, or they would allow her to accept it, then would come the time when Preston saw her with it and Preston would want it himself. And her parents would tell her that couldn't she be nice and let Preston use it for awhile? She would of course, because she'd really have no choice and Preston would refuse to give it back or he would break it, possibly both.

Seth paused, feeling the dilemma of the situation. There were some who would think that giving Payton a cellphone was a little on the creepy side. It didn't matter that he looked at her only as a kid, an interesting and polite kid, but a kid none-the-less. A child who could use a friend, perhaps even a child who needed an adult friend in her life to make up for the fact that her dying brother seemed to need almost all of her parents time and energy. There were people who would immediately jump to the wrong conclusion. And Seth knew the sneakier he was about it, the worse it would be. Giving her the cellphone might be a little creepy, but if he was straight forward and honest about it, it might be overlooked. For her parents to find it later and ask her and for her to say, "Oh, Seth Rollins gave it to me. We've been texting back and forth and I email him," would really look bad. But of course, if he was upfront and honest, there was a good chance the person he intended to be helped by the phone wouldn't be, instead it would be a toy for her baby brother. He bit his lip, then looked at her, his gaze steady. "It is a present from me to you," he finally said. "Who you tell about it is your business, not mine."

She looked back at him, their gazes locked and he knew they had entered an understanding. Both of them knew that there was something vaguely wrong with what they were doing, they were plotting and planning against her parents. But they also both knew that the only thing they were doing wrong was a sin of omission, not the actual act itself. That the gift of the phone was fine. She finally nodded, then swiftly, she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you," she said, her head pressed into the front of his shirt. "Thank you _so_ much!"

"You're welcome," he said, hugging her back. He wished suddenly that he was related to her, an uncle or something, so that he could step forward and offer to help the Caldwells with her. Sure, he was on the road most of the time, but he did get home a few days a month, and Kayla loved kids. He wouldn't have minded having her stay over with him and Kayla. He had a feeling Kayla and Payton would get along really well.

"I'm going to password protect it," she said when they drew apart. "Just in case.. I lose it or something."

"Good idea," he said. "I'll give you my contact information too. I have an email address that is under a name no one knows I use. You can email me there."

She nodded, looking up from the phone, which she had turned on and started flicking through it.

They spent the next few minutes figuring out how to password protect the phone, and how to connect to the internet. Soon enough she was signed into to her email account. She handed the phone over to him for a minute and Seth entered his contact information. Like many celebrities, Seth had several things under a name that was only given to family and close friends. It was not a name that he ever had or ever would consider using as a ring name. There was no way anyone would associate the name with Seth Rollins, WWE Superstar. He had an email address under that name, and his private cell phone was listed under that name. He knew he was trusting Payton with a big secret giving this information to her, but he also knew he could trust her, she wouldn't give the number or the name away to anyone. When he tried to hand the phone back, she shook her head.

"There's locks in there you should put on," she said, softly.

"Locks?" he was puzzle, why should he put locks on?

"This is the same phone my grandparents have," she said, shrugging. "When I was helping them, I found the parental locks. I didn't turn them on, because my grandparents are old enough. But I'm not. You have to password them. You're an adult and you bought the phone for me, you should do that, _you_ should pick the parent password."

He wasn't sure if she understood what she was saying or if she had just chanced into something, but he took the phone and the two of them looked at it. There were a variety of parental controls and the two of them figured out the most appropriate settings for a girl her age. When they were done, she popped the phone into one pocket, the manuals in the other.

"I should get you back to your parents," he said, regretfully. "I need to get ready for the show tonight."

She nodded looking equally as regretful, but then she patted her pocket, the one containing the phone and smiled. "Thank you again," she said, taking his hand.

"You're welcome." He smiled at the girl.

 

* * *

 

It was late that night when Seth and many of the other wrestlers got back to the hotel they were using. Roman and Dean were sharing a room, and while normally the two might have gone out to sample the night life, they decided to relax and have a drink in their room instead. Their next house show was in Kentucky and their flight was leaving at some godawful time in the morning, so they would have plenty of time to make the media circuit required in every town. Seth was just hoping he'd have time for some type of work out.

Their rooms were right across the hall from each other. Just as Seth was about to go into his room, he paused and looked at them. "Can I..." he started, then paused. Yes, they were still friends, but it wasn't the same as when they were all Shield. They swore the break up wouldn't affect the friendship and for the most part, it didn't, but there were still times when what used to be easy now seemed awkward. They didn't share hotel rooms anymore. While Seth appreciated the privacy from the two party animals, there were times when he missed that intimacy. There was something comforting to know that the three of them were united, not just in the ring.

"Can you, what?" Dean asked, looking at him.

Seth realized he had paused too long. "Nothing," he said.

Roman was studying him carefully. Yes, Roman was the brute of the Shield and he was still pushed as the powerhouse, but blunt of body didn't mean blunt of mind. "Want to join us for a drink?" he asked, sensing that Seth needed to talk.

Seth shrugged, then nodded. "Yeah, give me a few to change and call Kayla. It's pretty late, so she won't want to talk long."

Roman nodded. "Sounds good, we'll see you in a few."


	6. Chapter 6

As it turned out, Kayla had gone to bed early that night, and left a text message to let him know. He messaged her back wishing her a good morning and letting her know that he loved her. Then he quickly changed into some sweat pants and a sweat shirt. He opened the windows a crack to let in some of the cold night air, because he hated sleeping in a hot room, grabbed a couple bottles of water and went across the hall and knocked.

It was Dean who opened the door and Seth barely made it in the threshold when he was shoving his cell phone into Seth's face to show him the pictures of Neil that Cinnamon had sent him that day. Privately, Seth thought Neil might be the most photographed kid in the world, or second most. Leah might be the most, it was hard to tell. But both of their mothers made sure their children's father's would get the chance to plot their offspring's growth carefully, through the use of pictures. "This is Neil doing his homework. Did I mention he's on the honor role again? High honors!"

This was not news to Seth, it seemed that every day, Dean found a way to tell anyone within earshot that Neil was on the honor role. Yes, it was bragging, but there was a little more to it, too. Dean wasn't stupid by any means, but Dean had never done well with academics. Seth suspected this might be more of a case of no one caring enough to take an interest in Dean's school work as a kid, because he had gotten his GED pretty easily. Still, Dean believed himself to be street smart, but "book dumb," as he sometimes called it. His pride in Neil's easy of studying was not just normal bragging rights, there was a sense of wonderment to it, as if Dean was puzzled but thrilled that his genetics could contribute to producing a child that had talents Dean didn't. Yes, he knew Cinnamon contributed to this, both genetically and environmentally, but that didn't stop Dean from still seeing a bit of a miracle in it. This was probably why neither Roman, Seth, or anyone who really cared about Dean, teased him too much about his bragging. There was something almost sweet about it, even if you did feel sometimes like you heard way too much about Neil's awesome grades. Fortunately too, Neil himself was a modest kid, so when he was around he tried to temper some of the praise with an embarrassed, "Dad, stop it!"

Seth looked at the latest batch of pictures and made the appropriate noises, said the appropriate things, enough to make Dean feel that he was interested, but not enough to encourage him to go on too much. When he walked into the room, Roman was on his phone, saying good bye to Jessica.

"Jess sends her love," Roman called out. Seth nodded and pointed from himself to the phone. Roman nodded and told Jessica that Seth sent his. They exchanged a couple more, "I love yous" and then Roman disconnected. He went over to the mini bar and fixed himself a drink. Dean already had a beer, and Seth had opened one of his bottles of water. Dean was laying on the bed he was using, the pillows behind him to cushion himself on the headboard. Roman flopped on the other bed, arranging the pillows in a similar fashion to Dean. Seth had rolled one of the cushioned chairs that was around the small table, and was sitting on that, propping his feet on Roman's bed. He wasn't wearing shoes, he had left those in his room.

"So, what's on your mind?" Roman asked, taking a sip of whatever he had in his glass. Some type of alcohol mixed with coke it looked like, Seth didn't ask.

"What makes you think something is on my mind?" Seth asked, even thought he knew it was a dumb thing for him to say. Of course they knew something was bothering him. The fact that he even came over here tonight instead of just reading his book and going to sleep had told him that.

Dean and Roman both shot him identical looks that clearly said, "Don't try to shit us, okay?"

Seth offered up a rueful grin. "All right, yeah, there's something on my mind. You know I've befriended Payton, right?" When they both nodded, Seth plunged into the story of the cell phone and the conversation he had with Payton when he gave it to her. They both listened carefully, only interrupting when one or the other needed something clarified, but otherwise, keeping silent until he finished.

"So, that's how we left it," Seth said, winding down the story. "I told her that since the phone was a gift, that who she told or didn't tell about it was her business. We set it up and I gave her my 'code name' email and phone number."

"You feel you can trust her with that?" Dean asked. He wasn't making accusations, he was merely asking for clarification.

Seth nodded. "Yeah, I'm pretty confident she won't tell anyone that it's really me. She's young physically, but mentally she's older than her years. She knows she's been trusted with something very important."

"So, what concerns you?" Roman asked. He was holding his glass in his hand, swirling it so the ice cubes clinked on the sides with small, tinkling noises.

"If her parents find out she has the phone, they're going to ask her where she got it, of course." Seth said, then a sip of his water before continuing. "I fully expect her to be honest and tell them she got it from me, if her parents catch her with it. I don't mind that at all. Although, I'll bet the phone will end up in Preston's hands if that happens. No, I'm just worried that it's all going to look kind of creepy. An adult guy gives young girl a Smartphone that she's keeping a secret."

Dean though for a moment, and nodded. "Yeah, I can see that."

"Me too," Roman said. "Don't get me wrong, I know you and I know this is totally on the up and up, but yeah, I could see where this situation has the potential to be seen the wrong way."

"Was I wrong?" Seth asked, getting up from the chair and pacing.

"No," Dean said firmly.

"What were your motives for giving the phone to her?" Roman asked.

Seth paused. "I do want to keep in touch with the kid, she's a sweet girl and I think she could use an adult friend in her life, because to be blunt, I don't think she's getting much guidance from her parents. She used to stay with her grandparents, so she could at least go to school when Preston was at St. Jude's, but there was a falling out and she's now home schooled," he put his hands up, making air quotes at the words. "She says she has notebooks to work in and sometimes her parents look at them."

"Sometimes meaning hardly ever," Dean guessed. "They're too busy with Preston. I told you, Seth, that kid is a brat. I'm sorry that he's sick, but he's a brat."

"I agree," Seth said.

Roman frowned. "He's over-indulged, I'll give you that."

" _Over indulged?"_ Dean shook his head as if he couldn't believe the words coming out of Roman's mouth. _"Seriously?_ The kid slapped Seth on Raw. Just slapped him. And, while I'm not one of the chosen ones, that Preston graces with his presence, I have seen him in action. He thinks the world is his and his alone."

"Yeah, that's true," Roman said slowly, still studying his glass, "But Dean, you weren't there when we met Neil for the first time."

"So?" Dean frowned. "What does that have to do with Preston?"

"Seth and I knocked on the door," Roman said, as if Dean hadn't said anything. "Neil answered the door. When he saw it was us, he was freaking out. We were doing a little freaking out ourselves, but we asked him if his mother was home. He ran to get her, but then he turned around and looked at Seth and said, 'you're a jerk!'" He paused and all three of them laughed.

"I remember that," Seth said, nodding. "And you gave me grief, too."

"Yeah, I did," Roman admitted. "Because that's my job. But Dean, Neil was reacting to Seth as the guy who broke up The Shield. A bad guy. Because at that point he still believed that wrestling is real."

"Yeah, but he didn't _hit_ Seth," Dean pointed out, scowling slightly.

"True, but Neil is older," Roman pointed out. "Again, I'm not saying Preston was right or even that he wasn't bratty, but I am saying that he's six years old, he's going through chemo therapy, and that stuff can mess up your mind too. If you look at it one way, the kid whacked you for no reason. Look at it another way, and he was defending his sister against a bad guy."

"Okay, good point," Dean said, his brow furrowed. "But remember, they wanted Seth and this kid to bond when he first started coming. He's been told Seth isn't really a bad guy."

"Again, he's _six,"_ Roman said. "Being told Seth is a good guy is not going to necessarily override what the kid is seeing on TV all the time."

"Neil was probably kidding," Dean muttered darkly.

Roman chuckled. "Dean, I'm not saying your kid is a brat, you know. I love Neil. He's my nephew. I'm just saying that I wouldn't judge Preston solely on the whack. He might have been protecting his sister."

"I'm not just judging him on that," Seth said, even though the question seemed more directed to Dean. "But when I dropped Payton back off to her folks Monday night, her brother told her to take off her Seth Rollins T-shirt. He didn't look freaked, he didn't look worried, he just looked like he didn't want his sister to wear a shirt because it irritated him. And more so, her parents didn't defend her. You saw her, she was back to wearing the Dolph shirt, and she doesn't like Dolph. Today she was wearing Daniel Bryan and she told me her parents said she can't wear any of the T-shirts or the hoodie I gave her unless Preston isn't around."

Roman took a sip of his drink, then went back to swirling the ice cubes in the glass. "Okay, but back to the phone. So, you got it for her just so you and her could keep in touch?"

Seth shook his head. "Not just that." He sat back down in the chair and took another sip of water, giving him some extra time to think. "I want her to have a way to reach out to the world," he finally said. "She mentioned she used to have friends from school she emailed, but they stopped writing because she doesn't have access to email anymore. Well, now she does. If she can rekindle a friendship with them, I'd like to see that. I just feel like the kid is cut off from things. She's got her parents and her sick brother. She doesn't go to school, she just spends all her time with them. If I had some normal 9-5 job in Iowa, Kayla and I could keep in touch with her, do things with her, so on and so forth. But you know this life. The only way I can keep in touch is email and texting. I figured the phone gives her a window to the rest of the world."

Roman nodded. "That's probably a good thing to say if you ever have to defend why you gave it to her."

"You don't think I'm weird, do you?" Seth asked.

Roman shook his head. "No, I don't. But, I also know you. I know how you are with my daughter and I trust you with her. I don't know how other people who didn't know you would take it. But your logic sounds good to me." He thought for a moment, biting his lip. "Maybe I can get Leah to email her. Leah loves making friends and they're close enough in age."

"I think Payton would like that," Seth said. "I think she feels isolated sometimes."

"Maybe I can get Neil to email her too," Dean said. "Samantha is one of his best friends, so he's not one of those kids that hates girls."

Roman nodded. "Yeah, that would be good too, if he's willing."

"Is this wrong?" Seth asked, frowning. "I kind of feel like we're doing all this stuff to make this look 'right.' If we're not doing anything wrong, why do we need to make it look so right?"

Roman shrugged. "It's not just that. You're worried she's feeling isolated? Well, we can't kidnap her and bring her to play with our kids, but we can let them send email and text each other. It'll be good for all of them, probably. And, Wrestlemania is coming, Leah and Jessica are coming to that. So are Neil and Cinnamon, right?" He looked over at Dean who nodded. "So, they'll meet there."

"I hope her parents will let her play with them," Seth said and then, only half kidding, added, "I hope Preston doesn't forbid it."

"Let him try," Dean said, scowling.

Roman laughed. "Dean, he's six, what are you going to do if he does try to stop Payton?"

Dean's scowl quickly turned to a grin. "I'll tell Ziggler to go distract him. Possibly Bryan, too."

Both Roman and Seth laughed at that. "Good plan," Roman admitted. "That will work."

 

* * *

 

The first communication Seth got from Payton came the next day and was probably the most politely worded e-mail Seth had ever received, probably the most polite one he ever would receive. She wrote "Dear Mr. Rollins" at the top and signed it "Sincerely, Payton Caldwell." In the body, she thanked him for the t-shirts and for the time he spent with her. She thanked him for lending her his Maverick so she could join in on the Nerf fight. But mostly, she thanked him for the phone. Then, she hoped he was having a good day and that she looked forward to hearing from him again.

He finished reading it and smiled at how well it was written, and how formal and polite Payton sounded. Later that day when he was in the car traveling with Roman and Dean he decided to text her instead. He told her to call him by the fake name he used when writing emails, but in person she could call him "Seth."

A few minutes later she responded, saying she was very sorry for the mistake calling him Mr. Rollins and promised she would never make it again and would erase the email she had sent. He ended up assuring her that it was fine, no real harm done and not to worry about it. She never did make that mistake again. She also said that it seemed disrespectful to call him Seth, because he was an adult and her grandparents taught her she should respect adults. He messaged back that when they were face to face, she could either call him Uncle Seth, or Mr. Rollins, whichever she felt more comfortable with.

That was the start of their messaging. Stilted and a little awkward at first, then in a few days it started to feel natural. Just as he saw Roman and Dean doing, he started texting her at night after the shows. Knowing she would be asleep, he would text her "Good morning." She started texting back when she woke up, if she could, "Good morning!" The same two words, back and forth, but there was something sweet about it.

She started sending him a picture every day using the cell phone camera. It was never of her or her family, it was always something random. A flower, a white picket fence, water flowing out of a sink faucet, an ant carrying a leaf. She never offered an explanation of why she was sending these things, she never wrote, I saw this tree and I thought it was interesting." She just sent it along. When he started doing the same thing in return, he realized how good her pictures were for being taking with a simple cell phone camera. The quality was only as good as the cell phone camera, which wasn't bad, but wasn't the best either. The pictures were good because they made you feel things. The simple beauty of the tree, the industrious ant, the cool water flowing from the faucet. He found himself searching harder to find more interesting things to take pictures of. It became their thing, this exchange of photos.

She called him once from a bathroom at St. Jude's. He was on Big Show's bus, not something he did often, but it had worked out for the short trip. Since he wasn't driving, he took the call. She first asked if it was okay to talk to him. When he said it was fine, she said, "Good," and he could hear a tremble in her voice.

"Is everything all right, Pay?" he asked.

She sniffled. "Yeah. W-we're just waiting for the test results to come back. To see if the cancer is going away, staying the same, or getting worse. I hate this time, it's the worst. Preston doesn't understand it 'xactly, but he gets all uptight and cranky, Mom and Dad are really scared and they get angry easily. It makes my tummy hurt, so I have to get away, sometimes."

"Are you worried about Preston?" he asked.

"Yeah," she admitted, then paused for a moment as if collecting her thoughts and then blurted out, "Can we talk about something besides Preston an' cancer? I know I brought it up, an' if you really want to, I'll talk about it, but I hate this so much an' I want to not think about it, just for a little bit. Can we do that?" He could hear the tears in her voice.

She sounded so wound up, Seth wished he was there in person so he could give her a hug, rub her back, something, anything to comfort her. He felt stupid only having his voice. "Of course we can, sweetie," he said, making his voice as soft and soothing as he could.

"Thank you." She hiccuped.

A period of silence followed, Seth not sure if he should say something or let her talk first. While he waited, Big Show came out from having a nap in the bedroom, and sat down. Seeing Seth on the phone, he said nothing, merely waved a hello. When a full minute passed, Seth finally said, "So, is it a nice bathroom you're hiding in?"

She giggled, but it was a strained giggle. "It's very clean. And they have both soap and hand sanitizer."

"What color is this bathroom? Is it, white?"

"No, it's kind of a cream," she said. "They do have white bathrooms here, but I like this one, 'cause it isn't white. It's not even on the same floor as Preston, it's near the lobby."

"What does the soap smell like?" he asked, having no clue what else to say, but sensing this was a safe topic.

"Kinda like flowers and trees," she said. "But fake flowers and trees. But at least it doesn't smell like the stuff Mom uses to clean the toilets with at home. I hate that stuff. The hospital near home has that stuff."

"I like Irish springs myself," he commented. "But you probably like flowers, being a girl and all," he said the last with a bit of a teasing tone.

She giggled again, but this time it sounded a little more relaxed. "We use Ivory at home. It's weird talking about soap with you."

"Well, what do you want to talk about?" he asked. "We can talk about anything you want."

"How are Mr. Ambrose and Mr. Reigns?"

"They're doing fine."

They talked for about twenty minutes, about silly, trivial things, then she said she had to get back. He told her to call or text him if she needed to talk again.

When he disconnected, Big Show was staring at him. "You were talking to someone who was hiding in a bathroom?" he asked, looking incredulous.

"Sure," Seth said, looking as innocent as he could. "Doesn't _everyone_ hide in a bathroom once in awhile?"

Big Show shook his head. "Only you, Rollin's, only you."

Seth didn't know if that was an insult or not. He didn't really care, either. He was hoping Payton would be all right.

 

* * *

 

Seth's next contact with Payton was just before he had to change for the house show, and it was a message:

_Thank you for talking to me. Preston's cancer has gotten a little less, but not as much less as they hoped it would. My parents are upset._

**Are you okay?** he texted back.

_Yes, no, I'm both_.

He could picture her saying it as if she were standing in front of him, looking confused and bewildered, not knowing if she should be glad or sad, hoping the adults nearby would give her clues as to how she should feel. He bit his lip, but texted back, **Honey, I have to change for work, will you be okay? I've got to get ready for a show, but as soon as I can, I'll text you back, okay?**

Her reply came quickly, _It's okay. Sorry I bugged you. I'll be fine. Do good on the show, okay?_

He replied back. **Okay, I will. But I will check my messages as soon as I can, I promise. I love you, Pay.**

He realized when he was getting changed that he told the little girl he loved her. He hadn't had to think about it, he just wrote it, simply because it was the truth. Somehow, this little girl had worked her way into his heart. He just wished he could get her family to see what he saw in her. Yes, Preston was sick, yes, he needed a lot of care and attention, but they shouldn't neglect Payton either.

_If something doesn't give soon,_ he thought, _I'm going to have to confront her parents and let them know I don't approve of how they are neglecting Payton. And I have the feeling it will not go well._

End of Part Six


	7. Chapter 7

Sometimes things lined up perfectly and the Fast Lane PPV was taking place in Memphis, where St. Jude's was located and as it happened, Preston was down there finishing up his latest treatment. Of course the Caldwells were invited to attend. The WWE was even planning on sending over a limo to pick the family up and take them to the event. When they were told of this, Dolph volunteered to ride along to get them, looking forward to seeing his buddy Preston again. It was quickly agreed that this would be a wonderful idea. The PR department would make sure the press knew about it, and it was likely to be all over the local news, how the big WWE Superstar rode to the hotel, just to see his friend, the brave little Preston, recovering from his latest round of chemo and to take him to the show. If it was a slow news day, this was likely to make the national news, too.

Seth was at the meeting when this was announced and part of him wanted to volunteer to take his rental car and pick Payton up by himself, but he knew this would not be greeted as a good idea. Roman and Dean knew he was in close contact with Payton, but he hadn't shared that news with anyone else. Yes, there were plenty of people that had seen Seth wandering around with her backstage when her family came to events, but he wasn't sure anyone, not even Roman and Dean knew how close he'd become to the little girl. But, he was hoping he would get to see her. Kayla was coming to this pay per view and he was hoping to introduce the two of them.

There was always a sort-of festival atmosphere when a PPV came to town. While never as big as the March Wrestlemania, there were still a lot of folks who bought tickets that covered both the PPV, the RAW that would happen Monday and the Smackdown and Main event happening on Tuesday. Various events would be set up in the arena that ran all three days, the WWE Store would be open almost around the clock and there would be various press sessions, meet and greets, etc. This was not the time for a Superstar to explore the town though, even if they had the time. The chances of recognition were much higher, with wrestling being on so many people's minds.

Seth arrived late Saturday night, having flown there after completing a house show. He'd been able to fly first class, along with several other members of the WWE, including Roman and Dean. They didn't sit together, generally you were expected to stay somewhat in character when you were flying from city to city on WWE business, but they sat across the isle from him. Dean charmed one of the flight attendants into giving him several bags of peanuts and threw peanuts at Seth from time to time. Seth tried to pretend he was focused on the book he was reading, pausing only to give Dean dirty looks, although in truth, he appreciated what Dean was doing, he was letting Seth know he still considered Seth his brother, he was still part of the "gang of three" even though they couldn't sit together. Dean was pretty clever sometimes. Anyone still buying into Kayfabe would think Dean was trying to annoy Seth because he hated him. Seth knew Dean was trying to annoy him because he cared. He just had to fight himself from throwing the peanuts back at Dean. Seth did not hold it past Dean to get in an all-out food fight and to be honest, he didn't trust himself not to join in and enjoy it. And that would not be good for business.

"Jesus," Randy said, as a peanut missed Seth and bounced off his head. "Remind me never to sit next to you, again."

Seth smiled. "That's the price of being on the same roster as Dean Ambrose." He looked at Randy, "I could tell you how to stop him, but you may not like it."

"Well, it's getting-" Randy stopped abruptly as another peanut bounced off his skull and then fell to Seth's open book. "Okay, how do I stop him?"

"Are you _sure_ you want to know?"

Randy took the peanut from Seth's open book and threw it at him. "Yeah, I want to know, this is getting really annoying."

"Switch seats with me," Seth suggested, catching the peanut and throwing it back at Randy, "And-"

Before he could finish, Randy interrupted, scoffing, "And put myself even closer to the line of fire?"

"If you will let me finish," Seth said, shaking his head. "Switch seats, then lean over and tell Dean you heard he has a picture of his son and a couple of his friends dressed like Shield for Halloween and you would like to see it."

"Really?" Randy's brows raised and he smiled. "That's all it will take?"

"Well, you'll have to see more than one picture," Seth admitted. "His phone is full of pictures of Neil doing _thrilling_ things like eating cereal, doing his homework, and brushing his teeth. And if Dean thinks you're interested, he will show you every single one of them."

Randy pulled out his own phone. "Yeah? Well, he forgets that two can play at that game. I have some _adorable_ pictures of my daughter, starting from her first birthday party."

Another peanut landed in Seth's hair. He shook his head, dislodging it and stood up. Quickly he and Randy exchanged seats. As he was settled in the window seat, opening his book again, he heard Randy going, "Wow, that's really cute. This is my daughter dressed like a cat for Halloween."

Part of Seth wanted to whip out his own cell phone and show them some of the pictures Payton had taken, but another part of him didn't. The pictures she sent them were between her and him and Payton wasn't even in them. But it surprised him how he almost felt like he had a right to join that group of three (because Roman would join in soon enough with his own pictures) when before Payton he would have done everything he could to avoid it.

 

* * *

 

When they arrived in Memphis, they all went directly to the hotel that all of them were staying in. Seth was hoping he would be able to go down to the hotel gym, pathetic at best, but slightly better than nothing, and maybe do some cardio, not for a real workout, but just to throw off the effects of being in a plane. But nope, instead they all had to shuffle down to a conference room where Stephanie, Hunter, and Vince gave them all the low down on how the weekend would go. That was when they learned that the Caldwells were in town and would be coming to Fast Lane and when it was arranged for Dolph to ride in the limo to pick them up for the PPV.

When the meeting ended, Seth headed for his room, thinking that maybe, just maybe, he could get a half an hour workout in and then get a few hours of sleep before he had to be up. He had to do something to relax. He fumbled for his key card and opened the door.

He hadn't had a chance to check out the room before the meeting, and when the door first opened he was surprised the air carried with it a faintly familiar scent that was a mixture of floral and spice. Familiar to him, he had a wash cloth that carried that scent, sealed in a zip-lock bag and stored in his luggage for times when he needed something more than a voice or a picture to carry him off to sleep. But it was not a common scent. There was only one person he knew of who wore that particular scent.

"Kayla?" he called out softly as he entered the room.

She was lying on the king sized bed, wearing something silky in a color that matched her eyes. Her long hair was down, and she smiled, sitting up. "Oh my goodness!" she exclaimed in an extremely good southern accent. "I _do_ declare! How did such a virile, handsome, man get into mah hotel room, so late at night? And the night before I'm scheduled to join the convent! Whatever shall I do?" She fluttered her lashes, one of her hands going up to her forehead, the other to her breast as if she might swoon.

He grinned. He loved this side of Kayla, the playful, sexy side. Their role playing never extended beyond a little teasing, a bit of pre-foreplay so-to-speak, but it always made him smile. "What?" He said, as he dropped his bag, trying to make his voice sound lower, "why, what's a pretty little flower of the south doing, entering a convent?" He tried to make his voice sound low and rich, like one of those smooth southern gentlemen you saw in those old movies. Instead it came out sounding a bit like Foghorn Leghorn from the old Warner Brother cartoons.

She fluttered her lashes again as he came over to the bed. "Why, mah Daddy says I have to join, sir! He found me lettin' the Beauford boy kiss me behind the house, and now he's convinced I have lust in mah heart! And everyone knows the only cure for that is to get me to a nunnery!"

She had moved over in the bed, giving him plenty of room. He lowered himself next to her, restraining himself from grabbing her like a man dying of thirst might grab at a glass of water. It had been weeks, no months, since he'd seen her and _oh_ , he missed her. "Well, I might have a better solution," he said.

"Oh? Well what is that?" When he opened his mouth to speak, she put her finger on his lips. "Sir, I don't want you to _tell_ me, I want you to _show_ me."

Okay, it wasn't a real work out, but it had to count for cardio. It was a whole lot more fun and it certainly took the edge off his mind and body and put him in a much more relaxed state. "Still want to join that convent?" he asked, when the love making was over and they were just lying together in a sweaty tangle of arms and legs, the room now smelling like floral, spice, Irish Springs soap, and the heady smell of sex, that was somehow comforting if you were one of the participants that created it, and off putting if you weren't.

Kayla rolled on her side so she was facing him, resting her head on her hand and holding herself upright with her elbow. "Only if you're willing to become a priest." She was no longer speaking in a southern accent.

"Sorry, babe, my calling is wrestling." He turned his head so he could look at her, and smiled. He had dropped the quasi-southern, Foghorn Leghorn accent.

"Well then, screw that, I'm sticking with you." She leaned over, taking a quick nip at his earlobe, that made him shiver. She knew his weaknesses.

"Careful," he warned her. "Unless you want to stay up all night."

"I'd love for us to screw our brains out all night long," she said, moving a little closer so she was snuggling up against him. "But I also know you have to be on your game tomorrow, so you need to get some sleep."

He nodded, yawning, then remembered that he had forgotten to text Payton. He had been unable to leave a good night message, so he wanted to be sure he left a good morning on. "I know this sounds mean, but I need to get my phone," he said, turning away from her and leaning over to snag the pants he'd been wearing, the pants that were now puddled on the floor having been hastily discarded.

"Oh?" Kayla sat up, drawing her knees up to her chest, her hair spilling over her shoulders, onto her kneecaps and down her lower legs. "We just finish making love and you need to check in with your other girlfriend?"

He lay down next to her, stuffing a pillow against the headboard to prop himself up. "No, I need to text Payton and wish her good morning." He looked at Kayla. "We do that."

"Ah, so you are contacting your other girlfriend," she teased.

He shook his head as he pulled up the text messaging and sent off the simple message. "Don't joke like that!" he said, grinning to take the sting out of his words, but still feeling serious about it. "I worry enough about what happens if she gets caught with that phone I gave her."

Kayla knew about the phone, of course, he didn't keep secrets from her. "Don't be so paranoid," she said. "Anyone who knows you will know you would never do anything inappropriate with a child."

He sighed. "But the problem is, I'm a celebrity and people are always looking for celebrities to screw up. Also, this whole... the phone is a secret, well, it just looks wrong."

"Have you said or done anything even remotely shameful or wrong in any communication you've had with her?" Kayla asked. She was playful, but she also had a practical side to her.

"No," he said, then remembered that he told Payton he loved her the other day. "Well, I did say I love you," he admitted. "She was upset about Preston's tests results and I was getting ready to go on. I told her I'd text her later and ended my text with, 'love you, Pay.' When I checked, she had texted back that she loved me too, and called me Uncle. Just Uncle."

"I wouldn't worry about that," Kayla said. "It's not like you were texting back and forth 'what RU wearing' or anything." She made the "what RU wearing" sound lecherous. "You were comforting her and love is very comforting. Especially to her."

"Yeah, and I'd be fine with it, but with the phone being this big secret-" he paused and spread his hands in a helpless gesture. "I'm just worried."

"Well, don't," Kayla said. "There's nothing you two have done to be ashamed of, you like her like a niece, right?"

"A little more," Seth found himself admitting, putting the phone on the nightstand. "This is going to sound crazy, Kayla, but part of me wished I could adopt her, you know? I mean, her folks aren't taking care of her, and she needs a family, a family that doesn't revolve around her sick brother."

Kayla nodded, not saying anything, knowing Seth wasn't finished and wanting merely to encourage him.

"But, I know it's crazy. Even if her family gave her up, they wouldn't want some single guy adopting her, especially one that was on the road all the time." He sighed. "I sound weird, don't I?"

Kayla laughed, getting up from her side of the bed and walking over to Seth's side, where she picked up his dress slacks and started folding them neatly, going for a hanger to hang them up properly. "No, you don't sound weird. You sound like you're taken by this little girl. And I can't wait to meet her."

"I can't wait for her to meet you either," He said. "I think you're going to like her. She's smart and she's sweet, too. I've met so many kids in this job and most of them, at least when I meet them, are so hyped up to meet us. She's so low key in a lot of ways." He frowned suddenly. "You don't have to do that," he said, indicating her hanging up his pants. She knew he liked things kept neat and orderly, and often teased him that it was because his life on the road was so chaotic that he always went the other way when he could and was sometimes borderline anal about keeping things neat and tidy when he could. Of course, he teased her, because she didn't tolerate disorder very well herself and she didn't have the excuse of a chaotic life on the road, although he wished she did.

"I know I don't have to," she said. "But I was getting up to get something to drink and I figured I might as well." She gave him a rather cheeky grin. "Besides, you look so comfortable and sexy in bed, I don't want to disturb you."

"Sexy, huh?" he curled his arms, trying to strike a typical muscleman pose, not easy when you were laying on your back.

"Ooooh!" Kayla hung the hanger onto the coat rack and then brought her hands up to cup her face. "Naked Seth Rollins is in my bed! _O. M. G, Best Day Ever!"_ She was now imitating a bubbly late teens to early twenties girl, perfectly. She really was good at this type of thing. She pulled two cans of fruit juice out of the mini bar and came over to the bed, jumping on the bed next to him. "Oh God, Mr. Rollins, can I touch your willy? Please?" She fluttered her lashes. "I've never seen one as _magnificent_ as yours! Even my boyfriend's can't compare!"

"I don't know," he said, taking the offered can of pineapple juice and opening it. "I"m very particular about who I let touch my willy."

"Can I at least take a picture of it?" she continued, opening her own can, then she stopped and frowned.

"What's wrong?"

"Speaking of pictures of your wang..." she hesitated, taking a sip of pineapple juice. "I erased those pictures I had of you on my phone."

"Oh?" He remembered when she took those pictures. She had just gotten a new phone and was playing with it. One thing lead to another and before they knew it, both of them had an abundance of pictures of each other naked on their phones.

She nodded. "I-I lost my phone a couple weeks ago," she admitted. "It scared the hell out of me. As it turned out, I'd left it at Lacy's house, so I got it back, no harm done."

"Okay?" he took a sip of his own drink, waiting for her to continue.

"But it got me to thinking," she said, biting her lower lip. "Lacy and I had run errands and done some shopping all morning. When I realized my phone was missing, she had gone to the gym. I was driving to every place we'd gone to trying to find the phone and until she got home from the gym I was terrified."

"Yeah, but it's okay," he said, reaching over and rubbing her back. "You didn't lose it, you just misplaced it."

"Yes, but I could have lost it," she said, putting the can on the nightstand and laying down, facing him. "I could have left it at the coffee shop, or on the counter of one of the stores we went to, I could have left it anywhere. And all I could think of was if someone found it. Even though I have my laptop hooked up so I can erase it from there, what if someone found it before I realized it was lost? I mean, I didn't even dump it this time and I probably should have. I looked for it first. If someone found it... well, what if they went on facebook or twitter? You've used my phone to update your twitter account, so the password is on it. What if someone found it and started updating your twitter with naked pictures of you?"

He nodded, slowly, seeing her point. "Yeah, that was probably the best thing to do."

"I was also thinking of Payton, too. Imagine how that would look if suddenly naked pictures of you appeared on the net, then she got caught with the phone."

Seth groaned, it was something he didn't even want to imagine. "That would be bad. I mean, I feel horrible enough about the phone itself. Imagine if they found out the guy who gave her the phone had naked pictures of him floating around."

Kayla nodded. "So, I'm also going to recommend you get rid of your pictures of me.. unclothed too," she said.

He nodded, reaching for his phone again, then paused. "I'm still worried about Payton and that phone," he admitted.

"Don't be," Kayla said, her voice firm and confident.

"Oh?" he looked at her, phone in his hand. "Why not? Roman and Dean understand my concern."

"Yeah, but I think I might know what to do about that phone," she said, her eyes taking on a far away look that told him her brain was working on the issue even as they spoke.

"Oh? What's your thought?" He flicked through his phone and found the pictures and with sadness, deleted them. Thank goodness he hadn't been stupid enough to store them in cyberspace. He was able to fight the temptation to look at them one last time only because he had the real thing lying in bed next to him.

"I need some time to think about it," she admitted. "But don't worry, I'll probably have it worked out in the morning." Seeing he was done with his phone, she reached over, grabbed it and put it on the nightstand. "In the meantime, we need to get some sleep or you'll be exhausted tomorrow. And I don't want that."

"I'm glad you're here," he admitted, snuggling up to her as she turned out the bedside light. "I sleep better when you're with me."

"I do too," she said.

Both of them were asleep in minutes.

End of Part Seven


	8. Chapter 8

While Seth normally liked to go to the gym every day, he made an exception for the pay-per-views. Since the matches were often much more intense than regular matches, he wanted to make sure he was at full energy. He did stretch before his matches, but he would do that at the arena.

Since Kayla was there, they both decided to go to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. As they walked in, both of them saw the place was busy and it wasn't all customers. There seemed to be some media event going on. "Is everything okay?" Seth asked the hostess.

She nodded. "Some of the wrestlers are having breakfast with Preston Caldwell and his family," she said, her voice oozing with warmth and enthusiasm. "He's the little Make a Wish-" she stopped abruptly, realizing who she was talking to. "I'm sorry, of _course_ you know who Preston is! He's such a brave, wonderful little boy! The press are here talking to them and the family. I hope they give the poor little boy a chance to eat! He needs to keep up his strength."

_Plans must have changed_ , Seth thought, They decided to bring the Caldwells here for breakfast. He really didn't care if Preston, Andrea and Myron were there, but he was wondering if maybe he could see Payton. If she was involved with the press fuss going on. He would guess that while she was sitting with her family and everyone else, she probably wasn't exactly a part of it. Maybe someone would ask her a question about her brother and she would parrot something about how brave and wonderful he was, something that would later make the cutting room floor.

"Can we still get a table?" Kayla asked the hostess. "Or is the place closed off to the public?"

It was a rather silly question, there were other patrons in the restaurant, but it had the desired effect, which was to get the hostess to remember her job. "Oh! Yes, of course you can!" She grabbed a couple of menus. "Please, follow me."

She lead them to a booth that was near enough to the Caldwells to see what was going on, but not close enough that he worried Preston might see them and start squawking about the restaurant's right to serve "Bad guys," at least not until the excitement died down. As they were sitting down, Seth looked over at the group, seeing if Payton was obvious. His gaze first fell to Preston and he felt something lurch inside of him. It had been less than a month since he had seen the boy, but the last time he saw him, Preston looked frail, but fairly healthy. The boy was thinner now, and it looked as if his eyebrows may have fallen victim to chemotherapy. But the worst was the dark bruises all around the kid's eyes, making him look like someone had socked him in the face several times. He was sitting in Dolph's lap, and he was grinning, but he had a tired appearance to him as if life had just been taking it all out of him.

Seth suddenly felt awful for every bad thought he had ever had about the kid. If he had to make a bet, Preston wasn't going to be around much longer. He looked over at Kayla, who was looking at him with an expression that told him she had seen Preston too. "Pay said his cancer wasn't diminishing as much as they hoped," he said, keeping his voice soft. "But I'm wondering if it's actually getting worse."

"I don't know," Kayla said, biting her lower lip. "I know that chemo can be worse than the cancer in side effects. Preston just finished up another set of treatments this week, right? They might be making him pretty sick."

He was about to comment, when out of the corner of his eye, he caught movement in the direction of the Caldwells and looked. Payton was looking at him, waving. The table was thick with wrestlers, Caldwells, and members of the press. Besides Dolph, Hunter and Stephanie were there, along with Daniel and Brie, John and Nikki, AJ and Paige. They had set up the biggest table for them. Payton was sitting at the end, next to her mother, but slightly apart too. He smiled and waved back. "That's Pay," he said, motioning his head to the little girl.

"She's a cutie," Kayla said, waving herself.

Payton leaned over and said something to her mother, and Seth saw Andrea nod, but it was an absent minded nod, as if she wasn't truly hearing what was being said to her. Andrea's real attention was focused on her son and all the commotion. Stephanie was telling the press that it was time to pack it up, that Preston and everyone needed to eat and the press was rushing to comply. There was something about Stephanie that said without words that Stephanie could be a sweetheart, as long as you didn't cross her, but cross her and she could and would make your life miserable. The press sensed this and scurried to do as she requested and get out of there.

Payton slipped away from the table and ran over to Seth and Kayla's table. Seth saw her coming and turned in the booth so he was sitting sideways at the edge. She hesitated for only a second, but when Seth opened his arms, she almost threw herself into them, hugging him tightly. "Uncle Seth!" she said, softly, but enthusiastically.

"Pay!" He matched her tone in both volume and emotion. "How are you doing, sweetie?"

The drew apart. "I'm doing good," she said. She looked over at Kayla who was watching the two of them, a warm smile on her face. "Hi," Payton said, shyly.

"Payton, this is Kayla, my fiancee," Seth said. "Kayla, this is Payton, champion Nerf player, amazing photographer, and all around awesome kid."

"It's nice to meet you, Payton," Kayla said, "I've heard a lot about you."

"It-it's nice to meet you, Ms. -" Payton paused and looked helpless.

"Springer," Kayla filled in for her, "But you can call me Kayla, if you want.'

Payton shook her head. "You're an adult."

"All right, then you can call me Ms. Springer, if that would make you feel more comfortable," Kayla said, smoothly. "If, once we get to know each other better, you want to call me Aunt Kayla, that would be fine too."

Payton smiled, shyly. "All right."

There was a waitress over at the table with Payton's family. Kayla looked and then back at Payton. "Would you like to join Seth and I for breakfast?" she asked.

Payton's eyes lit up, then dimmed. "I don't know if they'll let me," she mumbled.

"Why don't I go ask your mother?" And before Seth or Payton could say a word, Kayla got up and headed over. They both watched as Kayla slid next to Andrea. The Caldwells and company were sitting at a table that had beach seating on one side, and chairs on the other. Andrea was sitting on the end of the bench seating, with plenty of room to spare. As they watched, Kayla seemed to be having a fairly animated conversation with Andrea, then Myron. They looked over in Seth and Payton's direction a couple times, looking puzzled. Finally, though, there were nods and Kayla smiled and slipped away, coming back over to them.

"It's just fine," she said, cheerfully.

"What did you say to them?" Payton asked. Seth moved further down in the booth and she sat next to him, looking happily surprised.

"I just told them that we asked you to join us for breakfast and you wanted to, as long as it was all right with them. I did remind them that you two had met before and were friends." Kayla smiled. "So, it's all set."

"Thank you," Payton said, her voice almost cracking with gratitude.

"You're welcome," Kayla said, still smiling at the young girl. "I want a chance to get to know you better, anyway. You've managed to charm the socks off my fiance, and not everyone can say that."

Payton looked at Kayla and nodded quickly. "He-he-he-" she stuttered, then stopped, shrugged and took a deep breath. "He's Uncle Seth," she said softly, but clearly. "And I love him."

Seth put his arm around the girl giving her a quick, half hug. "I love you too, Niece Payton." _Could we be any slushier?_ he found himself thinking, but truth was, yeah, it was slushy, but he liked it.

* * *

 

They had omelets, all three of them, stuffed with cheese and other things. Payton wanted every type of vegetable they could find to put into hers, which included broccoli, mushrooms, green and red peppers, onions, cauliflower, tomatoes and spinach. When it arrived, it was huge, vegetables spilling out of it, as if it had exploded, but she ate every bite of it as well as the home fries and toast it came with, and she drank a huge glass of orange juice and another of milk. Seth was pretty sure Payton had one of those marvelous metabolisms that allowed her to eat like a horse, but he still wondered if there were times when meals were skipped, likely due to Preston's health issues. Andrea and Myron weren't overweight, but they weren't as reed thin as their daughter, although being adults, their metabolisms might have slowed down. _They need to remember that Payton has to eat, even if they don't want to and Preston can't,_ he told himself. He had fallen in the habit of making this mental checklist of all the things he wanted to tell Payton's folks. The list seemed to get longer every day.

While they ate, Seth and Payton did most of the talking. Kayla wasn't rude, she laughed at the appropriate times and made the occasional comment that fit in with the conversation, but Seth knew her well enough to know she was thinking about something. She was also looking over at the Caldwells a fair bit, not obviously so, but enough that Seth had a pretty good idea what was on her mind.

His suspicions proved correct when they were just about finished. "Do you worry what will happen if your parents find out about that phone?" Kayla casually asked Payton.

For a moment, Payton looked surprised, then she looked away, down at her plate. "A little," she mumbled, then looked up. "But I'm very careful, I _swear_ I am!"

"I know you are, sweetie," Kayla said, her voice warm and sympathetic. "But wouldn't it be easier if your folks knew about the phone?"

"But if Preston sees it, he'll want it!" Payton said, a hard, stressful edge coming to her voice. "And my folks will tell me to let him play with it, just because they don't want problems! And he'll _break_ it! He's always breaking stuff! He won't realize this phone isn't a toy he can throw around!"

"What if we could work our way around that?" Kayla asked, still smiling, her voice still warm. "Would you feel better then if your folks knew about the phone?"

Payton hesitated, looking nervous and worried, but she finally nodded. "I guess."

"Do you have the phone with you?" When Payton nodded, Kayla smiled. "Give it to me, okay? Do it under the table." Payton was puzzled, but she did as instructed. Kayla popped the phone into her purse and took a sip of coffee. Payton watched her cautiously as did Seth. He was confident Kayla knew what she was doing, he just didn't know what exactly she was doing. A few minutes later, she pulled the phone out of her purse and handed it to Payton. Payton took it with trembling hands. "Don't put it away," Kayla said. "Don't turn it on either, just hold it, like I just gave it to you, like you're seeing it for the very first time."

"What are you doing?" Seth asked, a half smile on his face.

"You'll see." Kayla got up from the booth and went back over to the table where the Caldwells and the wrestlers were eating breakfast. She slipped in next to Andrea and said something to her. Andrea shook her head, but Kayla kept talking. Less than a minute later, Andrea whispered something to Myron, and then she and Kayla came back to the table.

"Mrs. Caldwell," Kayla began.

"Call me Andrea," Mrs. Caldwell suggested, looking from Seth, to Payton, then to Kayla.

"Andrea then," Kayla said, wearing one of her brightest smiles. "I just gave Payton that phone she's holding. It's a burner phone I happened to have. As it turns out, I don't need it. Seth and I recently switched providers to a company that gave us a fantastic plan and a couple of terrific phones. Payton here tells me she doesn't have a computer anymore-"

"She does," Andrea said, frowning at her daughter, who quickly looked away.

"Right," Kayla said, nodding, "My bad. She said that she and her brother _share_ a computer, but she doesn't like going into his room when he's resting for fear of waking him up. She knows he needs his rest and so she hates going to use the computer when he might be sleeping."

Andrea's expression softened and she nodded. "Payton's a good girl," she finally said, giving her daughter a smile. Payton smiled back, but Seth didn't really have that feeling he was witnessing a warm mother-daughter moment. It came across more like Andrea was speaking of an old family pet, a good dog, who had never caused much trouble, but instead spent his days sleeping on the back porch and staying out of everyone's way.

_Is that Payton?_ Seth wondered, _Is she a good girl who stays out of everyone's way?_

"Well, anyway, with the plan and the phone I got from it, I find I don't need this phone at all. It gets internet, email, all those things. Plus, she can text on it and all such. It's just wasting space in my purse, so I thought I'd give it to Payton."

"Are you sure?" Andrea asked. "I mean, we can't afford-"

"It's prepaid," Kayla interrupted to remind her again. "I wasn't thinking when it was bought and everything is paid for on it for quite awhile and I just don't need it. Payton says she could use it, so I'd like to give it to her. Is that all right?"

"Well, if you really don't need it," Andrea said, a bit hesitantly. "I guess it's all right."

"Wonderful!" Kayla beamed ignoring the look of disappointment on Payton's face as she no doubt was thinking of what Preston would do to this phone once he got his hands on it. "But, the only thing is, Andrea, that I really want you and your husband to understand, I'm giving this phone to _Payton_. I understand that Preston is at that age where he wants to do whatever his big sister does, but I really think he's too young to properly handle a phone like this. Payton, on the other hand, is older and I think she knows to be careful."

"Oh!" Andrea said, "Well, you see-"

"-Yes," Kayla interrupted. Seth was watching her with amazement, she really had this figured out, he was sure of it. "I see perfectly well. Preston will want the phone if he sees it and it's _very_ hard to convince a child he can't have something when he sees his sister has it. So, what Payton and I agreed would be best, is if she promises _not_ to use the phone when Preston is around. That way, Preston won't see it and he won't ask to use it!" Kayla leaned back and beamed, looking both innocent and smug at the same time.

Seth wanted to clap for her. Kayla had seen the problem and found the solution. No, Kayla wouldn't be able to whip out the phone and use it any time she wanted, but she no longer had to worry about her parents catching her with it. And he knew her parents wouldn't bother to check the phone and see she had owned it longer than just today. Kayla figured that out, too. She hadn't lied either, she just gave Andrea the wrong impression of how the phone came to be a gift to Payton.

"So, we have this all figured out, right?" Kayla was still smiling, that warm, sweet smile of hers. "I'll give Payton the phone and it's hers and hers alone. And, just so Preston won't feel jealous, Payton will make sure never to use it around Preston. Does that work for you, Payton?"

Payton said nothing, but nodded eagerly. She was still holding the phone, curled in her hand as if it were an anchor in her life.

Kayla looked at Andrea and smiled. "Thank you so much. I feel better knowing someone will get use out of it. Otherwise, it would just be sitting in my purse."

Andrea nodded, looking slightly dazed as if she wasn't quite sure what had happened. Finally, she looked at Payton. "What do you say, Payton?"

Payton looked at Kayla with a look of admiration and gratitude. "Thank you, Ms. Springer, thank you _so_ much!"

 

* * *

 

Seth wasn't sure if it was that he had his girlfriend with him, or if things just worked out, but the next thing he knew it, the Caldwells and that entire table were getting ready to leave, to go to St. Jude to visit some of the kids there that would not be healthy enough to leave the hospital to attend the PPV. The WWE network had arranged for the PPV to be shown at the hospital, free of charge for anyone there who wanted to see it. And all of Preston's favorite wrestlers would go over with Preston to visit with the kids. That wasn't unexpected. What was unexpected was that when the Caldwells came over to collect Payton, he saw the look of resigned disappointment on her face and the next thing he knew it, he was asking if it might be all right for Payton to stay with him and Kayla, that they would make sure she got to the event in plenty of time to join up with her family again. And amazingly enough, the Caldwells seemed to think this was a wonderful plan. Perhaps it was Kayla, a man and his fiancee probably seemed more on the up and up than a single guy taking an interest in a young girl.

While the Caldwells and company headed for St. Jude's, Seth, Kayla, and Payton headed for the arena together. When they got there, they discovered that Kayla wasn't the only fiancee/spouse who had decided to come, Jessica and Cinnamon were there too, along with Neil and Leah. It was like a family-by-choice reunion in the backstage area with a lot of hugging. Seth had the feeling that Dean and Roman had told Jessica and Cinnamon about Payton, because they didn't seem surprised she was with them, and they treated her as if she were a beloved family member of Seth's, a niece or baby sister they were meeting for the first time. Introductions were made, hugs were exchanged. The children were all introduced and in the way that children have when lumped together, they soon started talking and playing as if they had known each other all their lives. They had met up in the catering area backstage, which had a fair amount of room. Other young children were there, offspring or other relations to the wrestlers and soon enough it seemed like a mob of children were running around playing. Seth watched, a lump in his throat as he saw Payton looking so happy, running around with the others, talking, laughing, and having fun.

He would have liked to have stayed longer and watched, but soon enough, he and the other superstars that would be in the PPV were called to meetings. It was time to earn that paycheck.

End of Part Eight


	9. Chapter 9

Fast lane and the following couple of days went well that year and Seth was pleased. The PPV itself went off without a hitch, unusual in itself, usually at least one thing went wrong and tensions were high, but this time everything ran smoothly. Everyone in the event showed up on time and was actually on their game, which Seth was grateful for. Sometimes the carnival atmosphere of the PPV lead wrestlers to do more partying than they should, resulting in sloppy, borderline dangerous wrestling, not just for their opponents but for themselves too. Seth had done a lot of things as a wrestler but the worst had to be carrying a wrestler who was only wrestling with half a brain because the other half was still at the bar from the night before. But this time, it was smooth sailing. The rest of the time there went well too. The Raw show, then Main Event and the SmackDown filming.

For Seth, one of the best things was that the Caldwells didn't seem to mind that Payton spent most of her time with him and Kayla, at least when Seth wasn't working. Even when he was performing, Kayla was sitting with Jessica, Cinnamon, Neil, and Leah, close to where the Caldwells and the Make-a-Wish children were sitting. Soon enough, Payton just shifted over closer to Kayla and that group as well, not surprising considering that the three kids had started forming a tentative friendship.

It wasn't just the shows, Payton ended up spending almost all her waking hours with Kayla and Seth and all three of them loved it. Monday was fairly busy for Seth, he had some media work to do along with practically everyone else on the roster. Jessica and Cinnamon were still there along with Neil and Leah. Since the children were missing school for this, the mothers were insistent the kids do something educational, they decided to take the kids to Centennial Park to see the Parthenon. Kayla and Payton went along with them. Seth was a little sorry he couldn't tag along, the idea of a replica of ancient Greece in Nashville was interesting and he would have liked to have seen it.

Tuesday, things were a little easier. The promotion work was mostly done, that night would be the last show. The excitement and festival atmosphere of the FastLane PPV was over so Seth, Roman, and Dean had the morning off and were even given permission to show up for late call. The group, including Payton, decided to go to the Adventure Science Center. Neil tried to claim the place was for babies, but once they got there, he soon forgot his claims and fell in love with it, constantly coming over to his folks going, "Mom, Dad, you've got to see this!" Dean was as charmed by the place as Neil was, and the two of them were soon trying to see and do everything in the short amount of time they had.

Payton and Leah were a bit more sedate, walking together, checking things out more carefully. Even if it was something neither of them were interested in, they gave it a chance at least.

"They've become fast friends," Jessica remarked as she watched them. The two girls were ahead of the adults, holding hands as young girls often did. Their conversation was animated as they looked around and seemed to have an opinion on everything.

"I know," Seth said, watching Payton. "She seems like a different little girl, doesn't she?"

"Different from what?" Cinnamon asked.

"How she usually acts," Seth said.

"Really?" Although Cinnamon said it, both she and Jessica looked puzzled. "How is she different?"

"Usually she's very quiet," Seth said.

Again, they both looked at him as if they weren't sure what he was talking about, and that's when Seth realized that away from the pressures of a dying brother and parents that seemed to want her to be the beloved old dog that stayed out of everyone's way, Payton was blooming, Payton was becoming a normal child.

 _This isn't right_ , he told himself. _She's not shy, she's not introverted, that is learned behavior. It's a survival technique she's learned to exist in her family and it's wrong. I don't know how long she's had to do this, but the longer it continues, the more likely she is to become that person, that introverted little girl who has to stay out of everyone's way_.

There was a Subway sandwich shop in the place where they went for lunch. As Kayla and Seth helped guide Payton through the various choices for topping, the girl waiting on them smiled. "It's easy to tell she's your daughter," she remarked as she loaded all three subs with extra pickles as the three of them had requested. "She's got the same eyes and likes the same things."

The three of them exchanged looks, Payton biting her lip. Seth finally smiled at the sandwich girl. "Thank you," he said. Payton stopped biting her lip and grinned at him. _What has this little girl done to me?_ he thought. _I'm going from thinking I wasn't ready to be a father to wishing I was her Dad._

Unfortunately, when Main Event and the SmackDown taping ended, that signaled the end of the time with both Payton and Kayla and as he hugged both of them goodbye, Seth could feel the prickling behind his eyes that indicated tears. Not that he would shed them, but they were there, a reminder that even though he worked his ass off, these last few days had been some of the best of his life. He had been able to spend most of them with two of the people on this planet that meant the most to him.

And he wasn't sure which one he would miss more.

* * *

 

The Road to Wrestlemania was both exciting and exhausting, and Seth felt the brunt of it. There was an air of excitement in the crowd that was exhilarating, but it meant that the regular schedule, hard enough all the time, was ramped up. Randy Orton told him once, right after he started with the WWE, that Wrestlemania season was like regular season, but turned up to eleven. At the time, Seth had laughed, appreciating the This is Spinal Tap joke, but now he appreciated it for the truth of it. All the superstars learned to thrive on very little sleep, now they had to learn to not only thrive, but flourish on even less. The six weeks between Fastlane and Wrestlemania, you had to be on your game, the audience watched you extra closely, ready to rush to Facebook or Twitter if they even could imagine a slip in performance, ready to critique you and tell the world how bad you sucked, how you would ruin Wrestlemania this year.

Seth was grateful to not be one of the good guys. For some reason, the good guys took more heat from the more "dedicated" fans on the internet. Bad guys could get away with anything, but good guys? They just wanted to hate them.

He still tried his best to keep in touch with Kayla and Payton. Unless he just could not keep his eyes open, he still called Kayla every night. He always managed to text Payton her good morning message. She went to bed at a more reasonable hour, and she would often text him to tell him good night first. She still sent her picture every day, too. He tried to send one back. He thanked fate that the internet had been invented along with such things as cell phones, email, and texting, because the only way he could keep in touch was those odd bits of time waiting for interviews or traveling from one place to another. Air travel internet was expensive and horrible, but he found himself buying it when he could, just in hopes he could send a few messages to "his girls" or send a couple of emails.

Time off was out of the question. Seth was expected to play a prominent on both SmackDown and Raw, and he was expected to do house shows too. That was okay though, he knew the drill and he figured the only way he would not be wrestling every night was if he was so badly injured that he just couldn't stand.

Then, the phone call came.

It came on Tuesday night, two weeks before Wrestlemania. Main event was over, SmackDown filming was over, Seth's job for the night was done. All he wanted was to get through the backstage stuff as fast as he possibly could so he could go back to the hotel. He had a house show the next night, but if he could get some sleep, he could get up early and drive to the next show, which was in the next state. He would be sharing the vehicle with Dean and Roman, which meant that the three of them could take turns driving and he could maybe get some more sleep. With any luck, they would get to the next venue in time for him to have a few hours at the gym. He had been neglecting his workouts as badly as his sleep and he was getting irritated at that.

He was sharing a locker room with Roman and Dean again, and the two of them were playing, "Look at my kid," a game that Seth found himself joining in with now, not with pictures _of_ Payton, she still didn't send them, but he did share some of her photographs. But he was trying to get changed so he'd be ready for when the backstage people would come. Then, his phone rang.

It was on the top shelf of his locker, he had forgotten to turn it of, and being in his locker, he hadn't worried about it. He grabbed it and looked at the caller ID. It was Payton. It was late at night, almost midnight, she never called or texted him after ten o'clock, never. He didn't hesitate, he answered it. "Pay?"

"U-u-uncle S-s-s-seth?"

He thought at first she was crying, but then he realized that maybe she was, but there was more to her voice. It was edged in terror, not tears. "Payton?"

"U-uncle S-seth," she repeated, then spoke so rapidly he almost didn't understand her. "They'regonethey'regonethey'regone. TheyleftwithPrestonandI'mhereallaloneandI'm _so_ scared!"

"Payton, what are you saying?" He was instantly alert. "Where are your parents?"

Roman and Dean had put there phones down and were looking at him.

"They _left!"_ Payton wailed. "They _left,_ they forgot me, I'm _alone,_ and I'm _scared!"_

"Who left?" Seth asked, even though he was pretty sure he knew.

"Mom and Dad!" Payton wailed, "Pres-Pres-Preston got bad!" she wailed, speaking a little slower, but higher. "He got sick an' they rushed him to the hospital an' when I came out to go with them, they were gone. Uncle Seth, _I'm alone here! I'm alone and I'm scared!"_

Seth wanted to choke the Caldwells. He wanted to grab both of them by their necks and squeeze until the air ran out of their lungs and they were begging for mercy, crying as hysterically as their daughter was. But that wouldn't solve the problem. "Payton, it's okay," he said, even though it was anything _but_ okay, "Calm down, baby, you're not alone, I'm here." Roman and Dean were paying full attention to him now, staring at him, trying to make sense of what was being said. Both to confirm the situation and to get them up to speed, he summed up his suspicions. "Are you saying your parents took Preston to the hospital and didn't take you along?"

Both Dean and Roman looked horrified. They exchanged looks between each other then stared back at him.

" _Yes!"_ Payton wailed. "I'm _alone_ and it's _night_ and I'm scared! _And I don't know what to do!"_

 _Of course you don't,_ Seth thought, but didn't say. Payton was tough, Payton was resourceful. Had this been during the day, she likely would have been fine, but it was night time, and every kid knew that night time was when the beasts came out, the nightmares roamed free and little girls were vulnerable. "Do you know any of your neighbors?"

 _"No!"_ Payton wailed. "We haven't lived here long enough. Uncle Seth, _what do I do?"_

As there was in some stadiums locker rooms, even in this small room, there was a whiteboard and markers. Roman went over and wrote on the whiteboard in huge letters:

**Grandparents?**

"Payton, are your grandparents close?" Seth asked her.

"They live close, but they're in Florida, they won't be back for a few _weeks!"_ Payton said, and the tears started again and the sniffles and Seth was angry and heartbroken at the same time.

Dean now wrote on the whiteboard:

**KAYLA!**

Seth nodded. Dean held up his phone and Seth walked over to the whiteboard and wrote down the home number and Kayla's cellphone number, all while assuring Payton that everything was going to be fine, no more than fine, it would be _great_. He would stay right with her. "Remember your Uncle Dean?" Seth asked, "Dean Ambrose? He's going to call Aunt Kayla. She lives in Davenport, she lives with me." He realized he was half babbling, trying to say something, anything to assure Payton that things were being done.

Roman now wrote:

ADDRESS?

"Pay? I need your address, okay? Dean is calling your Aunt Kayla right now, to tell her to come and stay with you until your folks get there, but she'll need to know where you live. Do you trust me enough to give me your address?"

Through sobs, she gave out their address. Seth repeated it out loud, both to confirm what she said and so Roman could write it down on the whiteboard for Dean. Dean was calling Kayla.

"They _hate_ me!" Payton sobbed, "They _hate_ me and that's why they _left_ me."

There it was, all out in the open. Seth never probed Payton to find out how she thought her parents felt about her. Seth never felt comfortable with that. He knew something was very wrong with the family, but he wasn't sure if Payton knew how unfairly she was treated, or if she just thought this was normal. "They don't hate you," he said, and he was being honest. He didn't think they hated their daughter, he believed Myron and Andrea barely knew she _existed._ "They were probably so worried about Preston that they just forgot." He winced as he said the words, knowing that they were not comforting at all. _What parent forgets about their kid? I don't care if your genitals are on fire, you remember your kid!_

He heard Dean talking to Kayla, even as he was babbling assurances to Payton that things were fine. "Hey, Kayla, I'm sorry if I woke you, but we have a little emergency here." Seth admired Dean at that moment, he was so calm and collect. "I don't know the full details, but I guess Payton's folks ran off to the hospital with Preston and left her at home alone."

"You don't _understand!"_ Payton was crying in his ear. "Preston is a _boy_ an' Daddy _wanted_ a boy, but _he's_ the one that got sick, not _me!_ I'm supposed to be the sick one! _I'm_ the one that's supposed to be dying, not Preston! He's the _son!"_

Seth was pretty sure Payton hadn't heard the words she was saying from her parents, but somehow in their actions, that the impression she had gotten. And his hatred for them became even stronger. "Pay, that's not true."

"Yes it _is!"_ she stubbornly insisted.

"Honey, it's okay," He said, not wanting to argue with her. "Dean is on the phone with Aunt Kayla right now." He could hear Dean giving Kayla the address, slowly and carefully. When he saw Seth looking at him, Dean gave a thumbs up. Roman, meanwhile, had left the locker room, looking determined, and Seth had the feeling he was going to tell the Powers That Be, that Seth would not be out for the after show, backstage meet and greet, at least not for awhile, because he had to stay on the phone with a little girl who was home all alone late at night, because her parents forgot about her. "Aunt Kayla is going to come," he assured Payton. "She's on her way."

"Don't hang up!" Payton wailed. " _Please_ , Uncle Seth, _don't hang up!"_

"I won't," he assured her. "I will stay on the phone with you until either your folks come back or Kayla shows up, okay? I won't leave you alone, I'm right here in voice, if not in person."

"I don't mind day, but I don't want to be alone at night!" Payton wailed, as if newly reminded of her situation. _"They left me at night!"_

"I know, and that was wrong of them," Seth said, not giving a damn anymore about stepping on the Caldwell's toes. "They should not have done that, it was wrong and it was bad, but we're fixing it, okay?"

It seemed like he was on the phone for hours with Payton, but in truth it was only a little bit over one hour before the doorbell rang. He could hear it through the phone. "That's probably Kayla," he said.

"Should I answer it?"

"Do you have a peephole?"

"Yes, but I can't..."

Payton had obviously moved closer to the door while they talked and even Seth could hear the muffled voice from behind the door. "Payton!" He could just make out the voice and it sounded female. _She must live in an apartment building where the walls are made of tissue paper and the doors are cheap,_ he thought. But Payton must have recognized Kayla's voice because he heard the sound of latches being removed and the door opening. Then things were muffled for awhile, and he was betting Kayla had gathered Payton, phone and all, in her arms. He could hear her making comforting noises like, "There, there, it's okay," After a bit, someone came back on the line, and it was Kayla.

"Hey lover," she said, her voice bright, no doubt to assure Payton all was fine. "I'm here."

"Oh, thank _God!"_ exploded from his mouth, and he realized for the first time since he had answered the phone, that some weight had fallen on him the moment he knew the situation, so fast that he didn't even realize it was there. But it was okay, because now the weight was gone and he could breath easily again.

"I think I'm going to pack up a few things and take Payton to our house," Kayla continued, her voice still bright and sunny as if it were a beautiful Sunday afternoon and she was suggesting a picnic in the park. "We're fine and I'll call you as soon as we're situated."

"What about her parents?" He blurted out before she had finished.

"If they come home before we leave, I'll talk to them." Seth could hear sniffling in the background, telling him Kayla was probably still hugging Payton, that Payton was clinging to her. "If not, I'll leave them a nice little note telling them how to get in touch with me."

"Okay," he said. He didn't want to hang up, he didn't want to let go of this lifeline until everything was figured out, even though he knew Kayla would sort it out and sort it out properly. "Yeah, call me. I'm going to see if I can get a couple days off."

Dean was still in the room, keeping track of what was going on. When Seth mentioned taking time off, he gave him the thumbs up and nodded.

"It's the road to Wrestlemania," Kayla reminded him.

"I don't care," Seth said, and he meant it. "I was willing to overlook the Caldwell's shitty parenting but this is the final straw. _Something_ has to be done."

"I agree," Kayla said, and her voice was still bright and cheerful and Seth knew it was an act, knew she was as angry as he was. "But love, you have things to do and I have to help Payton gather up some things. I will keep you in the loop and call you as soon as we know where she'll be the next few days. I'm betting she'll be with me."

"Thank you," Seth said, grateful for her, so damned grateful he had a fiancee who knew how to grab all the loose threads in people's lives and twine them together to make them strong again. "Let me talk to Pay, just for a second, okay?"

The phone was handed back to Payton, who said, "Hello?" in a voice still full of tears, but they sounded like the tail end of the tears, like crisis was over and while things weren't settled, at least Payton knew everything would work out one way or another.

"Hey, Payton," he said. "Are you going to be okay? Kayla's taking you to our house, is that all right with you?"

"Yeah," she said softly. "I-I just don't want to be alone."

"I know that, honey. And you won't be." Seth took a deep breath. "I'm going to do my best to see if I can come see you for a bit, okay? So, you hang in there and hopefully, we'll be able to talk face to face, does that sound good?"

"Yes," she said, sniffling again, but he could almost hear the beginning of a smile in her voice. "Thank you, Uncle Seth... I love you."

"I love you too, baby. Don't ever forget it, either."

 

End of Part Nine


	10. Chapter 10

Seth went out for what was left of the backstage, after show meet and greet, but his mind was in Davenport, with Kayla and Payton. He kept his phone close by, waiting for it to ring and when it finally did, he excused himself as fast as possible from the group of fans he was talking with, and ducked behind the first door he saw, which turned out to be a broom closet. He didn't care, it was private and that's all that mattered.

When he went to answer, he saw Payton's number on the screen. "Pay?"

"No, love, it's me," Kayla's voice was warm and friendly, but he could tell she was exhausted. "Payton is asleep in one of the guest rooms. I'm using her phone in case her parents call me, I left them my cell number."

"They haven't called?" Seth asked, feeling his anger rising again. It had been at least three hours since they had left Payton alone, and they hadn't noticed she was gone, yet?

"No, Myron came home as we were leaving." Kayla said, then sighed. "Hang on a moment."

"Okay." Seth heard the sound of the back slider door opening and Kayla stepping out.

"I'm pretty sure Payton is sound asleep," Kayla said. "But just in case, I wanted to step outside so she doesn't hear, just in case she wakes up. Where was I? Oh yes, Myron came by as we were leaving. Seth, I have no way to prove this, but I swear, he didn't even realize they had left Payton alone in the house. He was coming to get a pair of Preston's pajamas and a stuffed animal he likes and he stared at Payton as if he had no clue she had been left home, like she was in the wrong place."

Seth swore softly, but distinctly.

"Yeah," Kayla agreed. "That was my reaction. I mean, I didn't want to fight, apparently Preston is pretty sick, so I'm willing to cut him some slack, but-" she paused and sighed. "But, he didn't rush to her, Seth. I mean, I can sorta-kinda understand that in the commotion, Payton got overlooked-"

"-What?" Seth interrupted, before he could stop himself, "You think-"

Now it was her turn to interrupt. "-I'm _not_ excusing what they did!" she protested. "I'm just saying that I can maybe see how it might happen. But still, he didn't rush over and gather Payton in his arms and tell her over and over again how sorry he was. He didn't look mortified. I understand Preston is really sick, but still, Payton is his daughter, too. But instead of worrying that he left his daughter alone, he was more upset that I had been called to come over. He kept saying, 'Sorry she bothered you,' like he really felt she should have just stayed home alone and waited for them to return."

Seth was suddenly aware that he needed to cut his nails because the fist of his left hand was clenched tightly and those fingernails were digging into his palms to the point where he might have cut into the skin. "H-he was upset that she bothered you?" he asked, even though he had heard her perfectly well, he just couldn't believe the words themselves. "He left his eight year old daughter in the house, all alone late at night, and he was worried that she _bothered_ you?"

"Yeah," Kayla said. "That seemed to be the issue here. That I had been disturbed. Of course I told him it was no problem."

"What did he say?"

"I don't remember exactly," Kayla said. "He was going to take Payton with him, but I talked him into letting me bring her here. Again, I think Preston is in serious trouble, but I didn't get into that. They're admitting him at the hospital, thus why Myron came home for pajamas and a favorite toy. I told him that under the circumstances, he and Andrea should be able to focus their attention on Preston and I didn't mind watching Payton." Again, she paused, but Seth knew she was gathering her thoughts again. "It honestly didn't take much convincing. I told him that I would bring Payton to the hospital to visit tomorrow, but that while Preston is in the hospital, maybe it would be best if Payton was someplace where someone could look out for her, and volunteered."

"And he agreed?" Seth asked.

"Yeah," Again a pause, as if she was trying to remember the incident clearly. "I don't know, Seth, I've never had a dying child, so I don't know how your brain would work in those circumstances, but it just seemed so...off to me. Maybe I'm biased because I rather like Payton and I don't really know Preston, but I'm just thinking that if I'd left my kid and then someone who I don't really know offered to take care of her for me, I'd really think twice about it. I'd probably call someone I knew well, and trusted. I know they have no family close by, and I do think the only extended family are her grandparents, but they're religious, don't they go to Church? Again, if it were me, I'd call a member of the congregation of the Church and ask them if they could watch Payton. But he was all right with my taking her. I gave him my cell phone number and the house number and we agreed to keep in touch."

It was at that point that Seth felt like his mind was cracking. He wasn't going insane, but the exhaustion from being on the Road to Wrestlemania, the show tonight, and all that had happened, his mind was tell him enough was enough and it just didn't want to process any more. "I agree," he said, unclenching his fist, realizing that his nails had cut into the palm and there were tiny ribbons of blood in his hands. "And you did the right thing, bringing her home. Andrea and Myron may not know us, but _we_ know we're good people, Pay does too. And when we hang up, I'm going to go and throw myself at the mercy of Hunter and Stephanie and try to get there as soon as possible."

"You don't have to," Kayla said, "I can handle this."

"I know you _can_ ," he said. "But... Payton said some things tonight that I want to talk to her about, face to face. And I think with all that's going on, she-" he hesitated, hoping he didn't sound too full of himself, "-she _needs_ me, Kayla. I really think she needs me."

"You're right," Kayla said and even though they were on the phone, Seth knew she nodded as well. "She _does_ need you. I know you're her surrogate uncle, but right now, I think you're the closest thing she's got to a dad."

"Yeah," Seth agreed. There it was, out in the open, at least between the two of them. Seth was more of a parent than the girl's own parents, Kayla too. "I'm going to go and see what I can do, I'll keep in touch with you to keep you up to date on what's going on. When Pay wakes up, if I'm not there, you tell her I love her and I'm doing what I can to get to her, okay?"

"I will," Kayla said.

When he had disconnected, he left the broom closet, a look of determination on his face. He would get a few days off, he would go and be with Payton and Kayla. And something would be done about this.

He had never regretted his career choice, he had wanted to be a professional wrestler for as long as he could remember. He could have gone to college, he had the grades and the SAT scores, but he never considered it, because like Dean, the idea of going to college seemed like a huge waste of four peak physical years. He understood why Roman had gone to college, he had a football scholarship and that was the way to get into the pros. But there were no professional wrestling teams in college, no scouts went around to colleges looking for potential candidates for the WWE. If you wanted to be a wrestler, you were better to go to the indies and get your indie cred first, Seth knew that and he never had regretted it. He didn't even regret it now, but for the first time ever, he wondered if a normal, stable, life would have been all that terrible for him.

_I would be home, if that were the case,_ he told himself, _I'd be there to deal with it._

In his anger and frustration, he completely overlooked that if he had a regular 9-5 job, he likely never would have met Payton.

 

* * *

 

 

Seth was later grateful for not only his determination, but for his anger and frustration as well. Determination was all fine and good, but at first, Hunter and Vince looked at him like he was piss-your-pants, call-the-guys-with-the-butterfly-net, crazy when he said he needed to miss the next few house shows to fly home. Even after he explained the situation, or maybe even more so after he explained the situation, they _still_ thought he was out of his mind. He did understand that while they had seen him and Payton together, and did know they were friends, he hadn't gone out of his way to tell them exactly how close he'd gotten to the wrong Caldwell. They had wanted him to become friend with Preston, when that didn't work, they probably figured he was just being nice to Payton because, well, why not? They had no clue how much he cared for the girl and how much she cared for him. Again, though, he felt awkward trying to explain without using words like "love." Not because he was ashamed, he wasn't, but because things were so strange and awkward these days. Finally though, he realized that unless he did tell them how he felt, they were just going to think he was taking off on a lark.

"She's the daughter I never thought I wanted, or at least the one I didn't think I wanted for ten more years or so," he finally said. "And she's got it pretty rough right now. I'm not going to disrespect the Caldwells, because they have enough going on, but they're neglecting that girl."

There was a fair bit of discussion about that, Hunter and Vince seemed to think Andrea and Myron were sterling examples of parenting. Seth tried to point out that they were basing that only on how they saw the two of them treat _Preston._ It didn't help much with Hunter and Vince. _Do I quit?_ he wondered. _Or get myself injured?_ It wasn't unknown in this business, to deliberately botch a move in order to get time off. He had never resorted to such a thing, thought it was dishonest and wrong, but for the first time he actually let the idea play around in his mind.

It was Stephanie who spoke up for him. She had kept fairly quiet, letting her husband and father deal with the issue, but when she finally did speak, it was with a quiet but steady voice. This wasn't a voice she used often, but when she did, you listened. "Give us three hours," she said, "I know it's the middle of the night, but we'll work this out. We'll film a promo that shows you getting injured in character, that we'll put on the You Tube channel and the web site. In return we'll fly you to Iowa in the private jet."

"Thank you!" he said, a sigh of relief following the words.

"Stephanie-" Vince started to protest, but she shook her head.

"This is important," Stephanie interrupted, overriding her father. "This little girl was in a scary and dangerous situation and she reached out to one of _our_ employees for help and he got her out of that situation and someplace safe-"

"-The girl was at home," Vince interrupted to remind her. "And yes, she should not have been alone, but still, she was home."

"I don't think they live in the best neighborhood," Seth interjected.

"She's also _eight years old,_ " Stephanie reminded him. "And her folks pretty much _abandoned_ her alone at home. She reached out to Seth, and Seth took care of the problem and got his fiancee to get her someplace safe." She paused for a moment, biting her lower lip, clearly thinking before continuing, "I admit, I never paid much attention to Payton, she always struck me as a quiet, introverted child. I'm not going to pass judgment on the Caldwells, they have enough issues right now with Preston. But I will say the idea of 'accidentally' leaving any of my girls home alone at night, at Payton's age, horrifies me. It's something I can't imagine. And as a mother, I am grateful to Seth for what he did. And if he wants to see Payton? To reassure her that everything is going to be okay? Then we let him do it. We pride ourselves on being a family friendly company, well, let's see if we can't pride ourselves on being a family compassionate company, too." She looked at Seth. "Let's get this show on the road, the faster we're done, the faster you're on your way."

And that was the end of it. They filmed the promotion and true to her word, two hours and fifty-seven minutes later, he was boarding one of the company's private planes to head to Davenport Iowa. But he wouldn't be making the trip alone, Dolph Ziggler was going with him.

He had found out about Preston being in the hospital and when he found out Seth was getting "Family emergency" time and taking the plane to Iowa, he insisted on going along. Seth didn't mind, he liked Dolph just fine, but both men were tired. When the plane took off and they could unbuckle the seat belts, they each grabbed one of the comfortable sofas and flopped out, hoping to catch some much needed sleep on their way.

As much as his body needed sleep, craved sleep, Seth found his mind wouldn't let him sleep. Instead, in that horrible way minds have of messing with you, his insisted on playing a charming game of "What if." "What if you hadn't given Payton that phone?" "What if Payton had gone outside the apartment and onto the streets instead of calling you?" "What if that hadn't been Kayla at the door, but someone who had been casing the house and realized there was a young girl all alone in there?" And with each what if, his mind was also happy to supply the necessary visuals to the mental horror story. He kept seeing Payton bloodied and battered, or hiding in the bath tub, knees drawn up to her chest, arms wrapped around her knees and crying hysterically. Payton having to endure being alone and scared for hours, because of course in this little horror show, her father never came back to get Preston's pajamas and stuffed animal. Finally, Payton catatonic because her mind had snapped.

He finally sat up, realizing that sleep would not be his friend tonight. _Well, at least I have a few days,_ he thought to himself. _I should be able to get some serious sleep in that time._ He heard a sigh and looked over at the couch Dolph was using. The man was lying on his back, a blanket provided by the private flight attendant covering him, but his eyes were open and he was staring at the ceiling as if it might have the answer to a particularly hard question he was pondering. "Are you okay?" Seth asked him.

"I'm worried," Dolph said, his voice slow, as if he was coming out of a self induced brain fog.

"About Preston?" Seth asked, more to keep the conversation going, of course it was Preston Dolph was worried about. The two had bonded in these last few months.

"Yeah." Dolph sat up, pushing the blanket to the end of the sofa, and swinging his legs around so he was sitting up. "The chemo isn't doing what they hoped. He had radiation treatments, but they almost killed him. The chemo is taking too much out of him and there's talk about stopping that, too."

"Then what happens?"

Dolph looked at him, eyes narrowing slightly. "They keep him comfortable and wait for the end." His voice was a flat, monotone, not as if this scenario meant nothing, but because it meant so much, he had to keep it out of his voice, least he have a break down.

Seth nodded, biting his lower lip. _What do you say in these situations?_ he thought. "You two are pretty close, aren't you?" he finally said, figuring this was safe grounds. They were still talking about Preston, but Dolph didn't have to talk about the inevitable ending, fast approaching, unless he wanted to.

"We are." Dolph grinned, just the memory of the young boy making his face light up. "He's an _amazing_ little guy."

"Yeah, I guess," Seth said, again biting his lower lip.

Dolph studied him and shook his head. "Yeah, I know, you and he don't get along very well, and that's too bad because you and his sister get along so well. But, you can't really blame Preston."

"I can't?" Seth struggled to keep his voice neutral.

"You freaked him out, well at least the in ring version of you, freaked him out." The blond yawned and stretched. Seth said nothing, thinking Dolph would continue, which, after a few moments, he did. "Remember when Shield broke up? He was in the hospital, watching with his family. I guess he'd fallen asleep and he woke up to see you deliver that chair right to the back of Roman, and then go after Dean. It really scared him."

"It's wrestling," Seth said, fighting the urge to roll his eyes. "We _do_ that."

"He was _five_ back then," Dolph reminded him. "And he was sick and he didn't really understand why he was sick, why this was happening to him. He'd woken up, probably from a bad dream and the first thing he sees is three guys who he knows are buddies until the end, and suddenly you turn on them. No warning, no nothing, you just turned on Roman and then Dean. And you were vicious." Dolph's smile was a wry one. "Don't get me wrong, it was beautiful what you did. It was one of the most dramatic moments in the history of RAW, but it freaked out Preston. They ended up having to sedate him because he was so upset."

"Oh," Seth said, feeling like he was obligated to say something, but not knowing what it should be. He wasn't going to apologize for doing his job, especially not to Dolph.

"Again, it was great television," Dolph assured him. "The chair shot heard 'round the world. But it did scare Preston badly. He's still in that stage where he thinks a lot of this is real. To him, you showed that you were totally unpredictable. That you could one minute be someone's best friend and the next, turn on them and try to hurt them."

Again, Seth found himself biting his lip and just saying, "Oh." He was doing a lot of lip biting tonight.

Dolph looked down where the flight attendant was sitting, reading a magazine. She was making a point to look in their direction every minute or so to make sure they didn't need anything, but other than that, she was leaving them alone. "Any chance I can get some coffee?" he called to her.

She closed the magazine and got to her feet. "Right away. Regular or decaf?"

"Regular," Dolph said with a yawn. "As strong as you can make it."

"Very good," she nodded and looked at Seth. "Can I get you anything, sir?'

"Coffee sounds good," Seth said. "Thank you."

She asked them how they took their coffee then disappeared into the little galley kitchen. When she was out of sight, Dolph yawned again. "I hope the caffeine does the trick," he admitted. "I'm still expected to be at the house show tonight."

"That's rough," Seth said, not mentioning that he had until Monday night's RAW off. He was sure Dolph knew about that, and he didn't want to rub it in.

Dolph shrugged. "I've handled worse. And I really want to see Preston. To tell him that we're all looking forward to seeing him at Wrestlemania. The kid has been so stoked for that, I think that might give him the incentive to hang in there a little longer." He shook his head, his hair falling about his face. "Of all the kids this could happen to, it had to happen to him. That kid..." his voice trailed off and Seth could hear the pain in his voice.

"There's no such thing as a kid who _deserves_ this type of thing," Seth said firmly.

"Of course not!" Dolph quickly agreed. "And I'm not saying there is. But, Preston is lucky to be here at all and then this has to happen to him."

"What do you mean?"

Dolph rubbed his hand over his chin. "I don't know if I should tell you this or not, but, Myron and Andrea didn't tell me this like it was any great secret, and I know you won't blab it to the world, so what the hell. Myron had a twin brother who died when he was seven. Not of cancer, like Preston has, he rode his bike into the street and got hit by a car. But, Myron's world was pretty shattered. I mean, they had been together since their conception, it must have been brutal on the kid, to always have someone and then to have that person disappear."

Seth nodded, his mind wanting to chew this over, but wanting to hear the story, too.

"So, when he and Andrea were dating, engaged, whatever, they talked and agreed that their first child would be called Preston, after Myron's brother."

"They must have been shattered when Payton turned out to be a girl," Seth said, trying to keep his voice neutral, but knowing a little bit of sarcasm had slipped in. If Dolph had noticed he said nothing. The flight attendant appeared with the coffee and for a moment, no one spoke as they took the cups from her. When she was done serving coffee, she returned to her seat and Dolph continued.

"No, they weren't that upset," he said. "Yeah, I'm sure they were a little disappointed, but they were young and they figured the next one would be Preston. So, when Andrea found out she was pregnant again, they were thrilled, hoping this would be a boy."

"And it was," Seth filled in. "They got their Preston."

"Yeah, but that almost didn't happen either," Dolph said, taking a long gulp of his coffee and then holding the cup, both hands wrapped around it. "When Andrea was getting near the end of the first trimester, she took Payton outside to play. I guess it had snowed and like all kids, Payton wanted to check it out. So, they went outside to make a snowman. Payton was really young then, and I'm not sure how it happened, but there was ice on the driveway of the house they lived at. As they were heading back into the house, Payton slipped on the ice. She was holding onto her mother's hand and they both fell on the driveway, hard."

Seth's eyes widened, and even though his mind was filling in the blanks, he said nothing, but let Dolph confirm his suspicions with his words.

"She started bleeding. She almost had a miscarriage, but fortunately, they were able to save Preston," Dolph continued. "But it was pretty touch and go. I don't know if it was the near miscarriage, or other complications, but Andrea ended up spending most of that pregnancy on her back. So, when Preston was born and he seemed fine and healthy, they were thrilled."

"I'll bet," Seth said, but his mind was racing. r _Payton slipped, Payton was probably scared to be falling and clung to her mother, knocking them both on the ice. They may never say it out loud, they may never even think it in the front of their mind, but deep down, I'm betting part of them holds Payton responsible for Mom's near miscarriage. And it wouldn't surprise me at all, if even further down in their subconscious, they suspect that near miscarriage might have somehow done something that later triggered Preston's cancer_.

"So, yeah, this is pretty rough on them," Dolph continued. "The first Preston died at age seven, the second one might not even make it to seven. And they're devoted to that kid."

"I've noticed," Seth said, and he was able to say it without a trace of sarcasm. He really couldn't fault the Caldwells for loving their son. However, he could and did fault them for putting blame on Payton. Yes, he was sure when the story of the icy driveway came out, whoever told Dolph about it, Myron or Andrea, probably never blamed Payton _directly_ , but they made sure Dolph knew Payton had something to do with it. Accident or not, Dolph knew that if Payton hadn't been holding her mother's hand, Andrea never would have fallen. _I'll bet Payton knows it too,_ he thought, _Again, no one flat out blamed her, but they made sure she knew her part in the situation. If it had been me, I would have just said I slipped on the ice, never brought Pay's name into it, but yet Andrea made sure everyone knew she hadn't just fallen, she had been pulled off her feet, by **Payton**_.

"But, Preston is a sweet kid when you get to know him," Dolph continued. "I know, you see him as a little bratty and even I can admit, they indulge him too much, but they know they aren't going to have him for very long. But, he's just got this spirit, you know? I mean, he's in a terrible situation. He's spent most of his life in and out of hospitals, they give him medicine and he thinks medicine is supposed to make you feel better, but instead it makes him sick. But he still manages to smile, he still manages to keep optimistic, he still laughs and jokes around..." Dolph's voice trailed off and Seth saw his eyes begin to shine with tears. He didn't shed them, but he did wipe the sleeve of his shirt across them. "He says he's going to be a wrestler," Dolph continued, voice cracking slightly. "All of this going on, and part of him still holds out hope that he'll grow up and become a professional wrestler. How optimistic is that?"

Seth had no clue what to say to that. Fortunately, the flight attendant interrupted then to tell them that they were getting ready to land and that they needed to go to seats where they could buckle in. That ended the conversation.

When the plane landed, Seth called Kayla, who told him she and Payton were still at home so he should come there. Dolph rented a car and agreed to drop Seth off at home.

Dolph was quiet on the ride over to Seth's house, which Seth was grateful for. He needed the time to think, to process the conversation he had with Dolph. _How do I help Payton deal with this?_ he thought, looking out the window at the passing scenery, looking but not really seeing it. _This is a mess. I don't want Payton living with people who consciously or subconsciously blame her for something that happened when she was a toddler, but now is not the time for this, not with Preston dying. But when will be the right time? Will her folks realize once Preston is gone, that she's all they've got? Or will they just blame her more for Preston's death?_

End of Part Ten


	11. Chapter 11

Seth wasn't sure what to expect when he got to his house, so he was prepared for just about anything when Dolph dropped him off. The garage doors were shut, but he looked in the windows quickly and saw Kayla's car, so he knew she was home. He knew she was awake, from his earlier call to tell him he was on his way.

"Hey," he called out softly as he came in the door. He knew Kayla was awake, but he wasn't sure about Payton. She just had a difficult night, she might be sleeping in.

"Hey!" Kayla's voice came from the kitchen. "You're just in time for breakfast!"

He put down his duffel bag and his small suit case and walked into the kitchen. He was barely through the doorway when Payton, who must have been heading out to the living room to meet him, flung herself into his arms. "Uncle Seth!" she cried out, and buried her face in his shirt.

"Pay!" He wrapped his arms around her, hugging her tightly. He noted, with a mixture of amusement and pleasure that she was wearing her Seth Rollin's T-shirt. "How are you?"

"Good," she said, her voice muffled because he head was still buried in his shirt.

For a few moments, they just stood there, arms around each other. He rubbed his hand up and down her back, comforting her, especially when he realized that her thin, bony shoulders were moving and she was trembling. He quickly looked at Kayla, who was by the counter, pouring batter into the waffle iron and closing the lid. She was staying right where she was, not just because she was manning the waffle iron, but because she wanted to give Payton the chance to greet Seth first. She did smile at him warmly though, letting him know she was glad to see him.

Seth wasn't sure if eight was considered too big to lift up or not, so instead, he untangled himself from Payton and knelt down in front of her. "Pay, are you okay?" She nodded, but her eyes were shinning with tears. He smiled. "Your words say yes, but your eyes say no. What's wrong, baby?"

She sniffled hard and wiped her arm across her eyes. "I-I-I-" she stuttered, then stopped and took a deep breath. "Everything is _wrong_ , and everything is _right_ ," she finally half sobbed.

He was close enough to the kitchen table, that Seth easily reached and grabbed the napkin from one of the place settings. "Okay, honey, what's wrong? Let's start with that?"

"Pres is sick," she said, sniffling. "Pres is at the hospital an' my parents forgot me an' I had to call you an' I've been nothing but a _bother!"_

Seth's heart went out to her, and he wanted to wrap his arms around her and pull her close again, but he felt a more practical approach was better. "Uh-uh," he said, shaking his head. "You're wrong."

"Huh?" She looked at him, puzzled, not expecting him to argue with her.

"Payton, who am I?"

She frowned then smiled. "Uncle Seth."

"Right!" Seth took the napkin and gently wiped under the girl's eyes. "And who's that?" he asked, pointing to Kayla.

"Aunt Kayla."

"Right," Seth nodded. "And if we're your aunt and uncle that makes us, what, Payton?"

She frowned, the look on her face saying she didn't appreciate the quiz, then she smiled as the answer dawned on her. "Family," she said. "You're _family."_

"Yep, that's right," Seth said. "Not by blood, but we choose to be family. Just like Roman, Dean, and I. Yeah, on TV the Shield broke up, but when we started out, the three of us made a promise to always be brothers outside of the ring. And we are. And you know what, Pay? Sometimes chosen family is the best. Sometimes chosen family is there for you, when your blood family can't be. And you know what else is great about chosen family?"

"What?" She was studying him intently, listening to every word.

"Chosen family _never_ wants to see you hurting. It doesn't matter what you ask for from people who you've chosen to be family and they have chosen to be your family, because _your_ safety and well being is the most important thing to them. So, you can't be a bother to your chosen family, Payton. We love you, and if you need us, we'll _always_ try to be there for you. So, no, you're not a bother." He brought the napkin up and wiped her eyes again, where fresh tears had gathered. "So, on that, don't worry. In fact, I'm glad you're here, and I'm hoping it will work out that you can stay here for awhile. I have almost five days off, Payton, and I'm hoping that you, me, and Kayla will get to do things together, just like we did in Nashville."

"I liked that," Payton admitted shyly. "I like Leah and Neil, but I liked being with you and Kayla the most." Her smile suddenly changed into a frown. "But I have to go to the hospital," she said. "I have to see Preston."

"I know you do," Seth said, betting that when Preston was in the hospital, she was expected to stay there almost 24/7, just like her parents. "And we'll visit every day. But Preston needs his rest too, and the doctors will need to see him and your parents will be there. We don't have to be with him all the time."

"We don't?" she looked at him as if she didn't quite believe the words coming out of his mouth.

"Nope, we don't," Seth said, firmly. "Unless, of course, you want to."

She bit her lower lip. "Am I a bad sister if I don't want to stay there all the time?" she finally said, her voice almost a whisper.

"No, you're not a bad sister," Seth said, and this time he hugged her. "Everyone needs a break sometimes. And you've always been there for him and you'll be there for him now, too. But maybe, if you do take breaks, sometimes it will be easier when you _are_ there."

When they drew apart, her eyes were dry and Seth was glad for that. "Now," he said. "What's the _good_ part?"

She smiled. "That I'm here," she said, and he saw that sparkle coming to her eyes. "And Aunt Kayla is making waffles."

"Yeah, that is a pretty good part," Seth agreed. "No one makes waffles as good as your Aunt Kayla."

"And if you two are ready to eat, I'm ready to serve them," Kayla commented, coming over to the table and putting three plates on the table, each containing a fruit covered waffle.

Seth noted that there had been a place already set for him, and was pleased. When Payton went to sit down, Seth took the opportunity to give his fiancee a hug and kiss that she returned enthusiastically. "Five whole days with you," she remarked. "This is like my birthday, Christmas, and Easter all rolled up into one."

"For me too," Seth said, as he sat down. "Five days with two of my favorite people in the world."

Payton looked at him, and Seth had the feeling she was studying him to see if he was joking. When she saw he was serious, her lips curved into a grin.

When she said her prayers, as she always did before eating, Seth noted with interest, that while she asked God to cure her brother, she also thanked him for putting "Uncle Seth and Aunt Kayla" into her life. He and Kayla exchanged looks before Payton opened her eyes. Payton had never forgotten to pray before any meal, but this was the first time she broke the usual script of only talking about Preston.

 

* * *

 

 

When breakfast was finished, Kayla said they should go to the hospital. She suggested Seth stay home and get some sleep, but he shook his head. "I'm fine. I had coffee on the plane and there's that decent coffee shop in the lobby of the hospital, I can get a recharge.

Payton was in the bathroom, brushing her teeth, so Kayla felt free to talk. "Preston doesn't like you, remember?"

"Yep," Seth said, his grin overly bright. "I have no intention of visiting Preston. I'll let you and Payton do that. I'll just sit in the waiting area. Don't worry, I'll be fine." What he didn't tell her was that he hoped he'd see one of Preston's parents and have a chance to talk to them about Payton.

Kayla studied him. Sometimes he forgot how well she knew him. "I agree, we have to talk to them and find out what's going on," she finally said. "But I'm not sure a hospital is the place to do it."

"Where else then?" Seth countered. "You and I know that as long as Preston is at the hospital, that's where they'll be. Kayla, I don't want to cause them any stress, and as long as you don't mind taking care of Payton, she's welcome to live here. But, I want to talk to them, I want them to understand. If this really is the end for Preston, and it might be, I want Payton where she's safe and where she doesn't have to worry about taking care of herself, because someone else is taking care of her."

"I don't mind taking care of Payton," Kayla said, and Seth knew she was being honest. "I love that kid like you do. She's a great little girl-"

"-Are you talking about me?" Payton interrupted, coming into the room.

Kayla didn't hesitate, "Of course we were," she said brightly. "Because you _are_ a great little girl." She held her arms out, and Payton ran over and threw herself into them, hugging the woman tightly.

_I think she's starved for affection,_ Seth thought as he watched the two of them. _Not surprising, she's been living with two people who she calls parents, but they sure as hell don't act like it._

 

* * *

 

The waiting room in the pediatric ward where Preston was staying was a brightly lit, sun shine yellow room with furniture in brilliant colors. Most of the furniture was of the molded, plastic variety, but there was a vinyl couch in a lime green so bright that if you turned out the lights, you would expect it to glow. Seth supposed the couch was for waiting children or parents that might need to doze off, but he wondered how you would get much sleep on that couch. This morning though, he was the only person in there.

Still, it was comfortable, and Seth sat down on it with his coffee while Payton and Kayla went into the room to be with Preston. There was a TV that seemed to be playing some kids movie on a constant loop, _Frozen_ , it looked like. There was no one else in the waiting room, so Seth looked around for the remote, to see if he could turn it off. If there was a remote, he couldn't find it, but he did find a volume control on the screen itself and turned the volume down.

Even though he had fortified himself with so much caffeine he half expected to start vibrating, he did fall asleep for about twenty minutes, waking up with Kayla shaking him gently. When he opened his eyes, he saw Andrea and Myron standing in the entryway to the room. "Hey," he said, meaning the greeting for everyone. "Sorry, just dozed off."

"You're probably exhausted," Kayla said, smiling gently. "But Dolph and Payton are in with Preston and I thought the four of us-" she paused to indicate Payton's parents, "-could grab some coffee in the cafeteria and talk. We have to get Preston a chocolate milkshake too."

"Okay," Seth said, rising to his feet. His coffee was ice cold anyway, so he threw it in the waste can.

"We can't be gone too long," Andrea said, nervously chewing on her lower lip.

"Dolph is in there," Kayla reminded them, a smile on her face, but a tone that said this was not up for discussion. "If there are any problems, I'm sure he'll make sure you're called as soon as possible, but I think we have some time and this is really important."

Seth had to fight from smiling. Kayla, in her usual way had taken charge and gotten what she wanted. Andrea and Myron probably didn't want to leave Preston's side, but somehow Kayla got them to do it. He looked over at Kayla, whose back was to the Caldwells. She winked at him.

* * *

 

When they went to the cafeteria, Kayla suggested the Caldwells get a table. "We'll get the coffee and the milkshake," she said. When they walked over to where the ice cream was, Kayla ordered a chocolate milkshake. While it was being made, she looked at Seth. "I know you want to light into them, I do too, but Preston is pretty sick."

"Is he going to make it, do you think?"

Kayla sighed and looked at him with the same look Dolph had given him on the plane when he asked what happened once chemotherapy stopped. "Seth, he's _not_ going to make it. The chemo is too much for him, so is radiation. Preston is not going to go into remission or anything like that. He never was, truthfully. The treatments were to hopefully give him a few more years. Not a decade, but a few more years. Now? They want to stabilize him and send him home. So he can die, Seth. We're not talking years, we're talking months, maybe even merely weeks, possibly even _days."_

Seth felt a sinking in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to be angry, he wanted to rip Andrea and Myron a new one over leaving Payton alone. But how do you look at two people who were trying to get their son stable enough to bring home to die and chew them out? _It wasn't like they left Payton because they were heading to the circus,_ he thought to himself, _They were taking Preston to the hospital. Damn it, this is the definition of complicated._

He wished he had the chance to tell Kayla about what he had learned from Dolph about Myron's twin, Preston's namesake and about how they had almost lost him before he was born. But there wasn't time, he'd have to tell her tonight, when Payton was asleep. "So, what do we do?" he finally asked.

"Make sure Payton will be all right," Kayla said simply, taking the milkshake that was handed to her and heading to get coffee.

When they got to the table, Myron and Andrea looked both tired and anxious as if they were desperate to get this over with so they could get back to their son. "I hope this doesn't get too warm," Andrea said, indicating the milk shake.

"I told them to make it extra, extra, thick," Kayla said. "He wouldn't be able to drink it now anyway. Fifteen to twenty minutes will make it drinkable."

"Oh." Andrea looked a bit crestfallen, as if she hoped the milkshake might be a good excuse to avoid this conversation.

"Look," Myron finally said. "We really appreciate that you came and got Payton. That was a very nice thing to do and don't think for a minute we're not grateful, because we are. But, you don't have to keep her with you. I know you're busy," he nodded at Seth, then looked at Kayla, "and you probably have to work-"

"Actually, I don't have to work," Kayla said, and although she was smiling, she spoke seriously. "I do contracting work, which allows me to set my own schedule. Money is not an object, Seth does quite well and we live well in our means. I told my boss I'd call him when I was ready to work again. So, my being able to watch out for Payton is not an issue here."

"Unlike last night," Seth blurted out, before he could stop himself. Three pairs of eyes focused on him and part of him wished he could take it back, but part of him was relieved to bring it out in the open. This is it, he thought, Speak now or forever hold your peace. "Okay, that was a little blunt, sorry about that. But I'm _not_ sorry for speaking up. You have my sympathy for what is going on with Preston. It must be a nightmare for all of you and I won't even trivialize your feelings by pretending I know what you're going through. But, I _do_ fault you for forgetting your daughter."

"Things were-" Myron started to say, only to be interrupted by Seth.

"-I don't care if Preston was barfing blood, you don't leave your eight year old daughter home alone," Seth said, keeping his voice calm, even though he was anything, but. "Worst come to worst, one of you get Preston to the hospital ASAP, the other one makes sure to get your daughter and follow behind with her. No excuses."

His only reward for the outburst was that for a moment, Andrea and Myron did exchange embarrassed looks. But he wasn't sure if they felt embarrassed for what they did, or that they got caught doing it. "I agree, it was wrong of us," Andrea finally said.

"Are you going to call the cops?" Myron asked, looking almost sullen.

"We haven't so far," Kayla said, before Seth could speak. "And we didn't because of the situation. Had it been any other reason, and we might have. But under the circumstances, we're willing to leave this as all's well that ends well."

"Really?" Myron looked at Kayla, his expression hard. "Your fiance doesn't seem to feel that way."

Seth had crossed his arms over his chest and he knew he was portraying one pissed off dude, perfectly, but he couldn't help himself. "I'm not calling the cops," he said. "I am willing to let this one go, but I _don't_ want Payton in a situation where she has to worry that her parents are going to forget about her. Until Preston-" he paused, realizing he was about to say, 'Until Preston dies,' but he caught himself, "-is settled, I want to know she's someplace safe, with people who will look out for her best interests."

"We understand this is a terrible time for you," Kayla said, leaning over the table and taking Andrea's hand, gently trying to comfort the woman. "I know that Seth here is being a little rough, but that's only because he's very fond of your daughter, we both are. We only hope that some day when we're married and have kids, we'll be lucky enough to have a daughter like Payton. But, in the meantime, we both know you are under terrible strain with Preston. We would like to know that Payton is somewhere safe, where she is looked after. Not only for Payton, but for the both of you as well. You both have so much on your plate, and you should be able to focus all your time and energy on Preston."

"That's easier said than done," Myron said, his voice slow and weary.

"What about her grandparents?" Seth asked. He wanted to just say, _'We'll take her! Please let us take her!'_ but he wasn't sure if that would be acceptable.

Andrea shook her head, drawing her hand back. "They used to watch her for us sometimes," she said. "But my father... he's suffering from early stages Alzheimer's, my mother has more than enough work just taking care of him. She can't take on Payton. That's why we pulled her out of school, because they can't watch her anymore and we're always traveling to Nashville with Preston. Unfortunately, Myron and I are, now at least, only children. We don't have an extended family beyond my parents."

"What about your church?" Kayla said, her voice still gentle. "The church I grew up with was like an extended family, surely someone in the congregation would want to step in?"

Myron shook his head. "We stopped going to church." His voice was a painful whisper. "We started going to that church because... well, because they had us believing that if we prayed hard enough, if we had enough faith, God would cure Preston. That didn't happen. What _did_ happen was that we ran out of money." Myron paused and looked down at the table, clearly ashamed and embarrassed. "A sick child is an _expensive_ child. I don't regret one red cent we've spent on Preston, and I'm grateful laws came in effect that allow us to have insurance, and we're grateful for places like St. Jude's where they treat our son whether we have the money or not. But still, the things that aren't covered add up. We lost our house, we lost any savings we have, you name it. And once we were no longer able to put aside that 10% for the Church, suddenly we were put on the wall of shame at Church and we left."

"Wall of shame?" Kayla asked, looking puzzled.

"It's a bulletin board where they post the names of all families who haven't given their tithing in the last month," Andrea explained. They put the family's name is big letters so even if you aren't over there reading it, you still can see it from across the room. And when your name goes up on the wall, you start getting ignored. They stop mentioning you or your loved ones in the congregational prayers."

Seth had heard of Churches like that. He and Dean had talked about them once, and Dean had nicknamed him "The Church of Greedy Jesus." "They got a good racket," had been Dean's opinion. "They'll tell you that Greedy Jesus will give you anything you want, as long as you're a good little boy or girl. But you'd better keep filling that collection plate, or suddenly, you've fallen out of Greedy Jesus' favor. I'm not a church going man, but if I were, and looking for a church to call home, the first thing I would do is ask to see the Preacher's check book. If he's making significantly more money than most of his congregation, the last thing they'd see is my ass heading out the door. I understand churches need money to keep going, but usually the church of Greedy Jesus is big on needing money and short on using any of it to help anyone but the man on the pulpit." _They were preyed on as they prayed with these people_ , Seth thought, feeling a little bit of sympathy for the Caldwells. _They told them God would cure their son, but the moment their savings ran out, when they could have used their church to stand by them, they were made unwelcome. Sorry, but miracles cost money. No, it's not our fault your son wasn't cure, you didn't pray and pay hard enough._ He found it sad that something that was supposed to bring comfort and to make you a better person, religion, could be twisted for such base and terrible purposes and he wasn't talking about only greed.

"We still believe," Andrea said. "We still pray and read our bible, but we don't attend services anymore."

_And no one there is willing to be friends with the deadbeat family with the sick kid,_ Seth thought, but managed to keep himself from saying. _How Christian of them._ He hoped the sarcasm he was feeling didn't show on his face.

"Well, we don't mind taking care of Payton," Kayla said. If she was affected by their Church problems, she wasn't letting it show, in favor of dealing with the immediate problem, which was Kayla to a 'T.' "We only wanted to make sure there wasn't a family or friend you'd rather see her with. But if that's not the case, we will be happy to watch her."

"We?" Andrea repeated, looking at Seth. "Aren't you usually on the road 90 percent of the time?"

"Yes," Seth said, knowing lying was pointless. "I've got some time off this week, but normally? I'm on the road a lot. But I do my best to keep in touch with both Kayla and Preston, and I'll continue to do that."

"This isn't permanent," Kayla said. "This is just until things are sorted out with Preston. When you both feel you're ready to have Payton come home, we'll bring her home right away. I don't want you to think we're trying to take Payton away from you, we know she's your child." She kicked Seth lightly under the table to make sure he knew not to interrupt. "We'll bring her to the hospital every day and when Preston goes home, I'll bring her over to visit with him, if everyone wants that. But I would rather know Payton is safe and that you both can focus your attention on Preston's needs."

The discussion continued for a bit, but the Caldwells agreed they could watch Payton until things were "settled" with Preston. Nobody used the word "die," nobody spoke of the weirdness of parents so willingly giving over their child to another couple. It was discussed in a civil fashion.

When they left the cafeteria, Preston's milkshake was a little bit thawed, but as Seth handed it to Andrea, who had almost forgotten it, he noticed the cup still felt cold. In less time than it takes to melt ice cream in a plastic glass, the Caldwells had given their daughter over to Seth and Kayla to take care of. _Until Death doth take Preston from us,_ Seth thought.

* * *

 

When they got back to the pediatric ward, Seth went back into the waiting room, but it wasn't long before Kayla and Payton came out along with Dolph. "Preston is tired," Payton said. "He needs his sleep an' Mom and Dad are with him."

"I'm heading back to the airport to get back in time for the house show," Dolph said.

"Are you sure?" Seth asked. "If you want, you can come to our house and crash for a few hours."

"Nah," Dolph shook his head, "I'll get some z's on the jet."

Dolph looked tired, naturally, but he also had the look of a man who had spent too much time being falsely upbeat and cheerful and now needed to be alone for awhile to regroup. Seth nodded. "You take care," he said.

"You too," Dolph said. He grinned at Payton. "Take care, Pay, and I'll see you and your brother at Wrestlemania, right? You _both_ promised, right?"

Payton nodded, smiling shyly. "We'll be there."

When they had parted company from Dolph, Seth looked at Payton and grinned. "So, have you decided Dolph is okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah. It was nice of him to come and see how Preston is doing. Dolph's okay, I guess." Then she grinned and added, "For a good guy. I still like bad guys better."

End of Chapter Eleven


	12. Chapter 12

Seth knew he should sleep that day, but wired up on so much caffeine, he also knew that if he tried, it would be jittery, nervous sleep. And since he wanted to be able to keep a similar schedule as Payton and Kayla while he was here, he decided that he would get through today and go to bed early that night.

They went to lunch at a small restaurant close to the hospital, where they served enormous salads that were mostly greens and vegetables with extras if you wanted them. All three of them ordered grilled chicken and pecans. Payton asked for extra tomatoes and raw broccoli to be added to hers.

"It's not a problem getting this one to eat healthy," Kayla remarked.

Payton looked up and shrugged. "I like vegetables." Then she frowned. "Is that weird?"

"Not at all," Seth assured her. "The fact that you like vegetables is fantastic. I promise you, you can have all the vegetables you want while you stay with us." Kayla was quick to agree, which had the girl smiling.

When they were done eating, Seth asked if he could be dropped off at the Crossfit center for a few hours. He knew a good work out would recharge the batteries and allow him to stay awake for the rest of the day and he'd just feel better in general. Kayla remarked that she had errands to do in the area, so she would be happy to drop him off. Fortunately, Seth kept a bag with work out clothes in the car, so they didn't have to go home for those.

When they came back to get him, Seth barely recognized Payton at first glance. Kayla had taken her to have her hair done. It was still long, but about three inches of straggly split ends were trimmed and in a similar style to what Nikki Bella had done the first day he met her, her hair in the front had been braided and wrapped around to the back to keep the hair from falling in her face. It was a sweet, innocent style and it fit Payton perfectly. She also was wearing brand new sneakers on her feet, a brilliant blue with screaming yellow laces in them. Kayla would tell him later that she noticed the toes were wearing out of Payton's old sneakers and when the store measured her, they told her the old sneakers were three sizes too small.

"Wow," Seth said, looking at her admiringly, "Is this the same Payton Caldwell who I had lunch with, earlier?"

"Of course it is," she said, shaking her head, blushing slightly.

"I don't know," he teased. "That Payton was a very pretty young lady. You, on the other hand, are stunning."

Her blush deepened and she fidgeted a bit, as if compliments were so rare to her, especially about her looks, that she had no clue how to react. Then she finally looked at him shyly and said, "Thank you."

 

* * *

 

When they got home, Kayla wanted to go to her yoga class, so Seth volunteered to cook dinner. "I was hoping you'd offer," Kayla said, a rather cheeky grin spreading across her face. "I picked up all the things you need for stir fry. I think Payton would like that."

"Wow, I was just thinking stir fry would be good," Seth said, grinning back. "And you're right, Payton with her love of vegetables, will probably like it." He turned to Payton. "Do you want to help?"

Payton nodded eagerly. "My dad _never_ cooks!"

"It's a new day," Seth remarked. "Men can do anything women can and vice versa."

"Almost anything," Kayla reminded him, "You still haven't mastered that having babies thing, yet."

"True," Seth said, grinning, "But science is making advances every day."

When Kayla left, Seth started pulling everything he needed out of the refrigerator. He set Payton to washing vegetables. There were both chicken tenderloins and boneless pork chops in the refrigerator. He remembered they had chicken at lunch and pulled out the pork.

For awhile, the two of them worked in companionable silence, only speaking to ask the location of certain items. Payton took her task of washing vegetables seriously, spraying the vegetable cleaner over them and then rinsing them carefully, while Seth handled the knife work, cutting the pork into thin, narrow, strips and cutting up the vegetables.

When everything was cut, Seth checked the time. The fitness center where Kayla had her class was less than a mile away and she walked there. Calculating the time it would take for the dish to cook, he figured they had about twenty minutes before he should start the cooking. He put the meat back into the refrigerator, to keep it cold. "Do you want a drink?" he asked Payton.

"Yes, please," she said, "Aunt Kayla bought some juice for me."

He found several glass bottles of juice on the door of the refrigerator. "What flavor do you want?"

She settled for peach. He grabbed a small bottle of diet Coke and they sat down at the kitchen table. "How are you doing?" he asked her.

She looked at him, head tipped to one side with a puzzled expression. "I'm okay," she said, cautiously. "Why?"

"You're going through a lot," he said, deciding to get to the heart of the matter. "Your brother is sick, for one."

She shrugged. "He's been sick for a long time," she said softly. "I'm used to it."

"He's pretty sick now," Seth commented, wondering if she knew the end was coming.

She nodded. "He's dying," she said, in a very matter-of-fact voice. "He's been dying for a long time, but it's getting closer, now."

He studied her carefully, seeing if her facial expression or body language would give away her true feelings about this, but she seemed relatively calm. "How do you feel about this?"

She stared at him for a long time, as if she was trying to see if he was asking her for a particular answer. Seth did his best to show nothing in his expression, wanting to hear her honest reaction. Finally, she looked away and down at the table. "I want... the... pain... to end," she said, slowly. She paused and swallowed, he could see her throat moving, and he realized her calm facade was just that, a facade, then she looked at him. "He's in pain. I know I'm supposed to pray that he lives, but is it fair?"

"What do you mean?" he asked. He had a pretty good idea what he did mean, but he wanted to hear it from her.

"There are no miracles," she said, and he saw the tears in her eyes, "Not for Preston. If there were, they would have happened by now. Now he just hurts, unless they give him a lot of pain medicine, and then he's stupid and sleepy."

She paused and looked down at the table again, but Seth knew she hadn't finished her thought and didn't want to distract her, so he took a sip of his soda and waited patiently until she looked up at him again. "Is that being alive?" she asked, finally. "Being in pain all the time? Is it really living when all you've got is sleep or stupid?" She waved her hands in a helpless gesture, and he wasn't sure if it was frustration at the situation or frustration at not having the words to express herself. She was only eight, after all, and these were the types of situations adults had trouble grasping, never mind little girls. "He's not Preston anymore," she finally blurted out. "He's the _sickness_ , he's the _medicine_ , but he's not _Preston!_ " She said his name the final time, almost shouting it and then was like a dam inside her burst and she started babbling. "I _pray!"_ she shouted. "I pray all the time, and it isn't _working!_ We _all_ used to pray for hours but it didn't work!" The tears were streaming down her face now, and she wiped them away with the back of her hand.

Seth grabbed a napkin from the holder on the table and handed it to her. She snatched it from him and wiped her eyes angrily. Seth knew though that the anger wasn't at him, or even at herself, for crying. She was angry at a situation. Odds were she had been drawn in like her parents to the Church of Greedy Jesus and believed for a long time that if she just prayed hard enough, it would work and her brother would be cured.

"I pray now," she said, sniffling. "I pray out loud for Preston to live. But-but-but in my heart, _I pray for him to die!"_ She broke down sobbing then, and buried her face in her arms, shoulders shaking, cries of grief coming from her mouth. And Seth could almost feel that grief, like a huge wall that had Payton isolated from the rest of the world. A wall she built of grief and cemented with guilt. "God isn't going to make him better! If God lets him live, he'll be like he is now! And _I don't want that!"_

He got up from his chair and went over to her, wanting to comfort her, but she pushed him away. _"No!"_ she cried, shaking her head as well. "Don't touch me!"

He knew she wasn't angry at him, nor was she worried about any improper touching that no doubt she'd been taught was wrong, he knew she didn't want to be held or comforted because she didn't feel worthy. This was the girl who once pointed out to him that the bible said that bad thoughts were the same as bad deeds. Now she just admitted she prayed for her brother's death and likely had for awhile. Sure, when he met Preston, he seemed in pretty good shape for a sick kid, but now he wondered. How many times had he had heard the parents comment that Preston was "having a good day?" How many bad days had there been before then? How many times had Payton seen her brother, crying in agony? Throwing up from the treatments that were supposed to make him better? Preston was a six year old kid, not an age where it was easy to "buck up" or "Fake it 'till you make it." It was likely he had raged over his pain, or whimpered and cried. And Payton had seen it, because Payton was a front row spectator to everything that happened to Preston, forced to go to every hospital, every doctor's appointment, because of a combination of a lack of people to care for the girl, and, he suspected, a deep down desire of her parents to make sure their daughter witnessed what she had wrought. Again, Seth was pretty sure that in their conscious mind, the Caldwells knew that Payton was no more to blame for Preston's illness than air itself, but he was just as sure in their subconscious, they blamed her. Seth believed the Caldwells believed the fall on the ice not only almost cost Andrea the pregnancy, it had set something in motion that later lead to Preston's cancer. And they were going to make sure Payton saw what she had done. They may not have pointed fingers at her, but he bet she knew about slipping on the ice. He would bet when the parents passed around the wonderful story about how, "You almost didn't make it, Pres, my man," in an attempt to make Preston feel that his being in the world was somehow special and preordained, that Payton's part was brought up. "Your sister grabbed you Mommy's hand and pulled her down on the ice!" he heard Myron Caldwell saying in his mind.

"Baby, you've done nothing wrong," Seth said, keeping his voice low and soothing.

 _"Yes I have!"_ she screamed this time, a scream so loud that it hurt his ears. "I prayed for him to _die!_ In my heart I'm _murdering_ him!"

"No!" Now it was Seth's turn to yell, although he didn't yell as loud as she did. "It's not murder to not want to see someone suffer, Payton!" And this time he did go over and move her chair around, and even though she fought him, he wrapped his arms around her hugging her. "Payton, you did _nothing_ wrong."

She fought him for a moment and he felt that struggle in her, the struggle to continue to punish herself for her perceived sins, but the other part of her wanting the comfort, wanting to be told by someone she loved and trusted that she wasn't the evil monster she had made herself out to be in her own mind. Finally, she wrapped her arms around him so tightly that his neck actually hurt, and sobbed into his shoulder, almost instantly soaking part of his t-shirt with tears and snot and he didn't care. He just wanted her to hold him tight. He hugged her tighter, as if he could somehow melt part of her into him, the part of her that was carrying the weight of all this guilt. _Let me have it,_ he wanted to say to God, to Jesus, to whatever deity looked down from the sky on this situation. _She's too young for this burden, let me carry it!_

But, if there was a supreme being watching them, he had long ago cut the cord of direct intervention. Mankind were no longer infants struggling to escape the saber-tooth tiger. Mankind had grown powerful enough to changed most of the world the world to suit their whims, and that deity now left it up to them to fix their own problems. Seth couldn't magically melt her guilt, he had to make her understand that she didn't deserve it and let it go herself. "Pay," he finally said, rubbing her back in comforting circles. "Pay, I need you to listen to me, can you do that?"

She choked back a sob and nodded. He couldn't see it, but he could feel it. He drew away from her and grabbed another napkin from the table. Carefully, tenderly, he wiped the tears from her face, then handed her the napkin so she could blow her nose, which she did, loudly. When she had collected herself, he sat down in the chair she had occupied only moments before and pulled her in his lap. "Pay, I have a very important question to ask you and you need to answer me honestly, can you do that?"

She looked nervous, but she nodded.

"Let's say God came down from heaven, right now, and handed you a pill," Seth said, "And he told you this was a miracle pill. And he told you if you gave it to Preston, it would instantly cure him. It would not only remove the cancer, but it would restore him miraculously and instantly back to the same health he had before he ever got sick. What would you do?"

She didn't hesitate. "I'd ask you to drive me to the hospital right away."

"Why?"

She looked at him as if he were crazy. "To give Preston the pill!"

"Right," Seth nodded. "Because the pill wouldn't just keep him alive, the pill would _fix_ him, the pill would make him _better_. Payton, you weren't praying that Preston would die because you don't like him, or because you wished ill on him, you've been praying that God will end his suffering."

"No, I thought to God that I wanted him to die," Payton disagreed. "I used the word, 'die.'"

"Right," Seth nodded again. "Because you know that is the only way to stop the suffering. Baby, if you really wanted Preston dead, if God gave you that pill, you'd throw it away. Or, maybe you wouldn't because you were afraid God would get mad, but what if he told you he didn't care one way or another and he'd think no less of you if you didn't give Preston the pill, would you still?"

"Yes," she said again, then a glimmer came into her eyes. Seth wasn't sure if she fully comprehended what he'd told her, but the beginning of understanding was coming to them. "I would still give him the pill. Because-because-because-" she paused, her shoulders beginning to shake, tears beginning to form again in her eyes. "Because I love him," she said, and this time, she hugged him first and willingly. "I love him, Uncle Seth. He's my brother an' he's a pain in the neck sometimes an' before he got sick, he could be an awful pest, and sometimes now he's an awful pest, but I _love_ him! And I _miss_ him! Because he's not the same anymore! He's just _cancer and medicine!"_

To this, Seth had nothing of deep insight to say, so he just hugged her and told her that of course she loved her brother. And to himself he wished that somehow, Make-A-Wish was a magical organization that really made wishes come true, because when it came down to it, all these kids they dealt with, meeting the superstars of the WWE wasn't their first wish, their first wish was to stop being sick; to no longer have the hand of death on their shoulder all the time. Everything else was pretty much trying to put frosting on a moldy loaf of bread and calling it cake. He didn't fault the organization at all, he felt the what they did was honorable, and it did make those kids feel special, which was good. But in the face of what these kids were going through, he'd bet most of them would gladly trade any and all the publicity they got to be able to live the 90 or so years their contemporaries would.

When Kayla came home, they were still sitting in the kitchen, she was still in his lap, and he was stroking her hair, but the crying had stopped and there was a bundle of crumbled up napkins on the table. Kayla took in the scene, but did not comment on it, except to say, "So, is everything all right now?"

Seth nodded. "For now, at least," he said, even though deep down he knew things really weren't all right and it would be a long time before they were. But, for right now, Payton had gotten out some of her grief, cried it out, and was willing to try to move on. _Band-Aids_ , Seth thought. _Emotional band-aids. But, maybe that's what life is, just a series of emotional band-aids we put on so we can go to the next thing._

 

* * *

 

Like most children though, she got into a better mood, quickly, and soon enough she was eager to help him finish dinner. "The nice thing about stir fry," he told her, "Is that it never takes too long." He got out the Wok, Kayla had bought him as a housewarming gift the day they moved into this house and poured some grape-seed oil into it. When it was hot, he added the sliced ginger and let it cook for a bit, then put in the meat.

"I know where the dishes are," Payton said shyly, "Should I set the table while you cook an' Aunt Kayla takes a shower?"

"That sounds like a plan," Seth said, stirring the meat carefully so it would cook evenly on all sides.

When Kayla finished with her shower, she came out wearing a pair of older yoga pants and a very old and worn ROH T-shirt. The table was set and Seth was just finishing up the stir fry and explaining to Payton, "The secret is to make sure the meat is cooked and the flavors all mix, but not to overcook the veggies. They should still have some snap to them."

He knew Kayla was in the doorway and he turned, seeing her smile at the two of them. "Hey, sexy," he called to her. "You're just in time."

"I see that," she commented.

"There's ginger in there," Payton said, pointing to the Wok, obviously not used to such exotic fare. "Ginger smells wonderful! Sweet and spicy at the same time!"

"That's how it tastes too," Kayla remarked.

Just as Seth and Kayla expected, Payton loved stir fry and ate two plates of it, which was good, because Seth realized he forgot to make rice or noodles to put it over. None of them seemed to mind, he had made plenty, so no one left the table hungry. "We had waffles this morning," Kayla reminded him. "And bread sticks at lunch with our salads, we got some grains. Tomorrow I'll make whole wheat pancakes or something."

It wasn't until after they had eaten and done the dishes, that Seth realized Payton hadn't prayed before they ate. He wasn't sure if this was a good sign or not.

 

End of Part Twelve.


	13. Chapter 13

The following four days were among the best days of Seth Rollin's life, and just as there were four days, he had four reasons for loving those days so much.

First, but least was the deliciously wicked feeling that he was doing something slightly wrong. He was supposed to be doing house shows, supposed to be pumping up Wrestlemania, but he wasn't. He was at home, with Kayla and Payton. He should be signing autographs and doing one interview after another, not just the one phone interview he did for one radio station. He wasn't, he was spending time with his girlfriend and his surrogate daughter.

Second was simple, but a little better than that wicked feeling and that was that he was sleeping at night! The first two nights he went to bed at the same time as Payton, all three of them did. And he slept ten hours both nights, waking up, stretching, then taking a long, luxurious shower, then going out and seeing what was going on. On the morning after the second night, he realized he had energy. Not nervous energy that so many wrestlers on the road lives on, but true energy. The energy that comes from getting the right type and amount of food, and enough sleep. He could understand why Dean sometimes talked about those few months off after Neil got hurt with such longing in his voice and it wasn't always about bonding with his kid. _This is how normal people live,_ Seth thought. _And they probably don't appreciate it at all!_ Along with the sleep came the luxurious feeling of fully relaxing. He didn't let up on training, well at least not much, he still went to the gym, went running every day, or worked with his and Kayla's own weights and equipment, but he didn't have to do media events, he didn't have to wait in waiting rooms for media events to happen, nor did he have to get into endless cars and on endless planes. While the rest of the locker room was working their buns off, Seth was on vacation, oops, excuse me, _emergency leave_ , and while he felt bad for them, he couldn't help but feel wonderful for him.

The third was, well to be blunt, sex. Most of the time, the lack of sex didn't bother him as much as it bothered other wrestlers who refused to cheat on their partners. While Roman, Dean and Seth all made the jokes about blue balls, Roman sometimes seemed as if he wasn't quite joking around. Dean and Cinnamon, apparently had a pretty active phone sex life, which, while Dean never gave details, he was happy to brag about. Jessica, apparently, wasn't quite as enthusiastic about the "What are you wearing?" game, which probably explained a little more of Roman's frustration. And while Kayla and Seth did occasionally have a three-way with Verizon, they didn't make it a habit. Kayla, however, due to being a contract worker, did try to fly or drive out to meet him when she could, sometimes even for just a night. But having five nights where they could have steady sex, (well four nights to be honest, the first night he was just too tired to do anything but fall into bed and be asleep before Kayla finished brushing her teeth) was amazingly wonderful. Especially when he didn't have to worry about being dead on his feet the next day.

But the fourth was the best, and that was being able to spend time with Kayla and Payton, together. Yes, every day, faithfully, Payton visited her brother and her parents. The first two days at the hospital, but after that, at the apartment her parents lived in. Kayla would bring her in the morning while Seth trained. Payton would visit them for a couple hours. They would meet back at the house in the early afternoon and have the rest of the day together.

While Seth wasn't a witness to those visits between Payton and her family, Kayla was, and she told him about them when Payton wasn't around, usually at night, when Payton was sleeping. "She's handling Preston well," she would usually tell him. "Her parents? I think there's still a little resentment, mostly on her part. She treats them like relatives she doesn't know very well."

"Do you blame her?" Seth asked one time. They were laying in bed together, desire sedated for now, although part of Seth was thinking he wouldn't mind another round, if Kayla was up to it. "They abandoned her. She told me on the phone that they hated her and I don't think that was just the panic talking. I think she really believes that."

"I don't blame her at all," Kayla said, "but that doesn't mean I'm not saddened by it. When Preston dies, they'll want their daughter back."

"Will they?" Seth asked pointedly. "Or will they say they do, because that's what everyone will expect?"

"That's a good question," Kayla said slowly. "I wish I had a good answer."

Seth hadn't confronted Payton on the whole issue of her parents hating her, and he wasn't sure if he should or not. "Do you think we should get some help for Pay?" he asked, then added, " _can_ we?"

"What type of help?" Kayla asked.

"Therapy or something?" Seth bit his lip and sighed. "Shouldn't she be seeing or talking to someone about this?"

"Probably," Kayla said thoughtfully. "But the problem is that she's not our daughter. She's not covered under our insurance, although that doesn't matter, much, we could afford to pay it ourselves, but I don't think any ethical therapist would treat her without her parent's permission, which reminds me...." her voice trailed off and she stared into space.

"Remind you of what?" he asked.

"Nothing," she smiled and shook her head. "Don't mind me, I'm just wool gathering." She moved closer, snuggling up to him. "Can you watch Pay for a bit tomorrow after we visit with Preston? I have some errands I need to run."

"Sure," Seth said, putting his arm around her and pulling her close, marveling at how well they fit together. "Is everything all right?"

"Everything is fine." She smiled and raised her head up, kissing him. "Everything is great. Just have some boring things I need to do, and I figured you'd probably rather spend time with Payton anyway."

She was right on that. While Seth had gotten her to confront how she felt about her dying brother, he still hadn't talked to her about the phone call when she said her parents hated her and that she was the one who was supposed to be sick. He wasn't sure that a conversation could help her with that, but he wanted her to know she could always come to him and talk about it.

* * *

 

The day after that conversation was the last day Seth would be home, Sunday. He would fly the next morning to be on Raw and SmackDown, then he'd be going to Wrestlemania on Wednesday. Kayla and Payton would fly out on Thursday and join him. As far as everyone knew, the Caldwells and Preston would be coming too, but that was up in the air for now. Seth wasn't sure if they were planning on coming out early, or if they would just try to make it for Wrestlemania itself, and perhaps the Raw and SmackDown afterwords.

While they were all eating lunch, Kayla mentioned again, that she had some errands to run. "I'll be leaving the two of you to entertain yourselves," she said, in mock sternness, "I trust you both to stay out of trouble."

"Us?" Seth said, giving her a wide eyed look. "Trouble?"

"Yes you," Kayla responded, wagging a finger at him. "However, I think I can trust Payton to keep you on the straight and narrow." She turned to look at Payton. "Can I?"

Payton giggled, loving it when Kayla and Seth joked around like this. "I'll do my best," she said, taking a drink of milk from her glass. "It won't be easy, though."

_She fits in_ , Seth thought, looking a the young girl. In the few days she had been here, he couldn't help but be a bit smug at how much better she looked. Kayla fixed her hair every day, one day braided pigtails, the next a fancy ponytail, today it was in a french braid. Today, she was wearing one of her Kane T-shirts, and she wore jeans that weren't three inches too short. But the biggest thing was that she just seemed more relaxed and more there. You knew when she was around, she didn't hide in corners, she spoke up, she laughed, she participated in what was going on. And that anxious look she often wore had been rarely seen, at least by Seth. _She's the kid Kayla and I should have. She's smart, she's quick, and she gets us_.

When lunch was over, dishes were done, and Kayla was off on her errands, Seth looked at her. "So, partner in trouble, what do you want to do this afternoon?"

"I'm supposed to keep you out of trouble," she reminded him.

"Pft," He waved his hand dismissively. "Kayla's gone, you can stop the act."

"What act?" She was grinning, showing a lot of teeth.

"C'mon, you know you want to get into trouble," he said, "admit it."

"I don't know," she said, "I don't want to get Kayla mad." She was still grinning, almost giggling as she said this.

"We won't get into so much trouble that Kayla will find out, how about that?" he suggested.

She pretended to think about this for a bit, then nodded. "That works."

* * *

 

They decided to go trail biking at Credit Island park. Kayla and Seth had gone there a few times, they both owned good trail/mountain bikes. Of course, Payton didn't have a bike, but Seth knew the neighbors across the street had a few bicycles for kids of Payton's age, which they kept for when their grandchildren visited. Kayla and Seth were on good terms with the neighbors so in almost no time Seth borrowed a smaller bike. While it wasn't as good as the bikes he and Kayla had, he knew it would work just fine on the easier, paved trails of the park. He was also able to borrow a helmet in Payton's size.

Soon enough the were at the park. Seth unloaded the bikes from the bike rack. He made sure Payton had her helmet on correctly. He put his own helmet on and soon they were riding the trails.

It was a perfect day for biking, bright, sunny, with a temperature in the high '50s, not so cool that you felt you needed to bundle up, but cool enough so you wouldn't over heat. Seth wasn't sure how good a bike rider Payton was, but he soon realized that somewhere in her short life, probably before Preston's illness had drained the family finances, she had done some serious bike riding. She zoomed down the trails, her feet pushing on the peddles as if she were trying to win a race. Seth wondered at first if she was trying to prove something to him, but he soon realized she just loved the speed, loved the wind in her face, loved the feeling that the power in her own body could move her along. Seth knew exactly how she felt, he felt that way himself when he worked out, like he was a living, breathing machine, capable of almost anything and wanting to constantly prove to himself how much he could take. Again, he was amazed that he could sense things about her, as if he'd known her a lot longer than he had.

They were riding side for side for almost an hour when she stopped. Seth raced on ahead of her for a bit, then stopped and turned. Payton had leaned her bike up against a tree, and was pulling out her cell phone. He headed back to her, wondering if she had gotten a phone call, perhaps from her parents, but he saw she was taking pictures of a tiny group of purple crocus that had sprouted in a patch of dirt off the trail. "Hey, Pay," he called out.

She looked up, grinned, and pointed to the flowers. "Spring!"

He chuckled. "About time, right?"

She nodded. "I wanted to get a picture." She looked at him and her expression was serious. "That's okay, right?"

"Of course it is," he said, dismounting from his bike and leaning it against a tree near hers. "In fact, I was thinking maybe a hydration break would be a good idea, anyway." He had brought along a small back pack which he'd loaded with some first aid supplies and some small bottles of water. He removed it from his shoulders and reached inside, grabbing two of the water bottles. She took more pictures of the tiny flowers, then put the cell phone back in her pocket and took the bottle of water he offered.

They sat down on the grass at the side of the trail together, sipping their water. For a few minutes neither of them talked, just enjoyed the feeling of being together, outdoors, on a perfect spring day. "I like this," Payton finally said, leaning back on her elbows.

"Me too," Seth said. "I don't get many opportunities like this, especially just before Wrestlemania."

"We used to do stuff like this," Payton said slowly, pausing to take a sip of her water. "Before Pres got sick."

"Really?" He had finished his water, and he put the empty bottle back in his backpack. There were regularly spaced trash barrels, but he wanted to take them home, where he knew they'd make it into a proper recycling bin.

She nodded. "We all liked to go biking. But then when we had to move from the house, we sold the bikes at a garage sale."

He wanted to say something, something wise, something that would make everything okay, at least in her mind. He knew he could offer to buy her a bike, and he probably would buy her one she could use when she visited their place, but he had the feeling bikes weren't the real issue. "So, you guys were more of a normal family before Preston got ill?"

She turned her head to look at him, brows furrowed. "Yes, and no. Mom an' Dad were always nuts on Preston."

Now it was his turn to furrow his brows, even if part of him was 90% sure of what she was talking about. "What do you mean, Pay?"

She shrugged. "You'll think I'm whining."

"No, I won't," he promised. "You, Pay, are a lot of things, many of them wonderful, but you are _not_ a whiner. So, tell me."

She scrunched up her face in an expression of discomfort and concentration. "Mom and Dad love Preston more than me," she finally said, as if she had tried to find another way of saying it, one that didn't sound as bad, but realized there was no other way than the truth. She didn't get teary eyed, she didn't sniffle or even look sad, she said it in a matter-of-fact tone of voice as if she had known it for so long that the sharp edges had been worn off of it, and while it still hurt, it didn't cut anymore, it bruised instead.

His first reaction, of course, was to lie to her and tell her that wasn't true, but he didn't. He hadn't lied to Payton yet and he wasn't going to start now. But, he wasn't quite ready to agree with her. "Why do you think that?" he asked.

She studied him quietly, searching his face to see if this would lead to a denial on his part, if he would change their relationship in an instant and lie to her. Because she knew too, that he knew the truth. "Preston is a boy," she said. "Dad an' Mom really, _really_ , wanted to have a little boy." Her voice was a flat monotone as she spoke, as if she had thought this so often that it was actually boring to her now. "Because Dad had a twin brother who died named Preston." She frowned. "I would _never_ name a child after a dead uncle."

"Why's that?"

She sighed. "It puts too much on them, and takes too much away from them, I think. I mean, every time Preston did anything, my dad would compare it to the other Preston. Pres learned to walk at nine months, wow, so did Uncle Preston. Pres's first word was Ma, Uncle Preston's first word was Dada, Pres likes chicken, Uncle Preston liked beef. Pres refused to eat string beans, but Uncle Preston loved string beans. See what I mean?"

He did see, and he nodded. "Yeah, it's like nothing really belongs to you, in a sense. Sure, everyone learns to walk, learns to talk, likes certain foods, and that's part of what makes us individuals. In your brother's case, it's like he doesn't really own anything, because it's always compared to what his uncle did."

"Yeah," she stared at him, a slow smile. "I'm not smiling 'cause it happens," she explained, "I'm smiling 'cause you get it." They were sitting close together and she leaned over and put her head on his shoulder. "We think a lot alike."

"We do," he agreed, putting his arm around the girl. That was something else he had learned since he knew her. When he had suspected she was starved for attention, he hadn't been lying. It wasn't just hugs, Payton liked it when you patted her hair, held her hand, put your arm around her. The night before the three of them had watched _The Lion King_ on Netflix (and he was thrilled she thought it was better than _Frozen,_ any day) and she had sat between them, her head resting in Seth's lap, the rest of her on Kayla's lap, while Seth had one arm around Kayla, and stroked her hair with his free hand. Payton craved physical affection like a plant craved the sunshine. "Pay, do you remember the phone call?" he finally asked. "When you called me because your parents went to the hospital and forgot you?"

She didn't speak, but she nodded, her head moving on his shoulder.

"You said you thought your parents hated you," he reminded her, wincing a bit that he had to bring it up while things were so peaceful. "Was that just talk, or do you really feel that way?" She pulled away from him then, pulled her knees up to her chest, and wrapped her arms around them, a sure sign she was withdrawing into herself, which he hated. "Pay," he finally said, letting her stay as she was, but putting a hand on her shoulder, to show that even if she did want to withdraw, he wouldn't let go. "You don't have to answer, if it hurts."

"No," she said, not looking at him, talking to that space between her legs and her torso, her forehead resting on her knees. "Sometimes I think they hate me, 'cause Preston is sick. Other time, I think they don't hate me, they just don't care very much."

"Why would they hate you because Pres is sick?" he asked, speaking very carefully, not trying to give away in his voice that he very well might know the reason why she felt that way.

"I did something when I was a baby," she said, still refusing to look at him, still keeping her forehead to her knees. "I pushed or pulled or did something that made my mom fall on the ice. Pres was still in her tummy then, and he almost didn't live."

_So she knows_ , Seth thought, not at all surprised.

She looked up from her knees and looked him straight in the eyes. "It wasn't my fault though," she said, and her voice was surprisingly firm. "I was a baby, babies do things like grab things too tightly. Because they're babies, they don't know better."

"Did your parents tell you that?" he asked, hoping and praying they at least had given her that, at least told her that she wasn't to blame, that it was one of those things. But his hopes were dashed when he saw her shake her head.

"No," she said. "But I figured it out. When I was little, an' Pres was very little, he threw a toy at me." Her eyes stayed on his, studying them carefully as if she was trying to gauge how he felt. "It hit my mouth really hard. I lost a tooth, a baby tooth," she hastily explained. "And I cut my lip. Mom took me to the hospital and I had stitches put in. I was mad at Pres, but Mom told me that Pres was just a baby, it wasn't his fault, that babies sometimes did things that were bad, but they were accidents. Pres was older than I was when I grabbed her and made her fall. If Pres wasn't at fault for my mouth, which he wasn't, then I can't be at fault for Mom's falling, right?"

_Is this what happens when you're raising yourself?_ He thought. _Are you forced to develop a wisdom beyond your years? Does she really believe this? I hope so._ "You're absolutely right," he said out loud. "You _were_ just a baby. It's sad that it happened, but you didn't mean to do it. Babies are too young to understand things." He was nodding too, trying to show her how firmly he believed what she said. "If Preston wasn't to blame for knocking out your tooth and splitting your lip, then you can't be at fault for what happened when you were a baby too. That's very smart, Payton, and I'm glad you figured that out."

She shrugged. "I-I'm not bad," she finally said, still looking into his eyes, hardly blinking. "I'm not perfect, but I'm not bad. I might be wrong for praying Preston dies, but you were right, I only pray for that because he's hurting and I don't want to see him hurting anymore. My-my mom an' dad can pray for miracles, I can't anymore, I don't believe, an' even if I did believe like they do, I don't think asking makes any difference at all with God anymore. If he's going to do it, he'll do it, whether I ask or not."

"Do you still pray?" Seth asked. He hadn't seen her pray since before the conversation.

"Not as much," she admitted. "But sometimes. But, I don't figure it's anyone's business anymore. I use to pray out loud because Mom an' Dad got mad if I didn't pray for Preston to live, they wanted to hear me say it. That's wrong. If I'm going to pray it should be between me an' God, otherwise it's not real."

"What do you pray now?" he asked, "About Preston, I mean. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

She kept that gaze on him, strong and steady. "I tell God that if he's merciful and good, like I was taught, then he really needs to do something to end Pres's suffering," she said, with a slight air of defiance about her. "I don't say what he should do, but he needs to do _something."_

Seth wanted to laugh, but he restrained himself. He knew there were some who would say Payton was being blasphemous, but Seth didn't agree with that at all. If God was going to set himself up as the person with all the answers, he had to expect that some people would ask the questions. If God was the supreme being his fan club claimed him to be, capable of doing anything he darned well pleased, he should be able to understand that sometimes a wise-beyond-her-years, girl would start expecting him to get off the pot and pull the chain. Sure, certain religious types would say Payton was dooming herself to eternal damnation, but Seth had the feeling that God would be perfectly fine with Payton, that God, if he indeed existed, could actually appreciate her honesty. Blind faith and fear was all fine and good, but your most loyal followers would always be ones that were willing to question your motives, demand explanations, and when you answered them, still followed you. _One Payton Caldwell = One million Pat Robertson's,_ he thought.

"Pay," he finally said, knowing there was one matter they had to discuss. "How do you feel about going back home?"

She looked alarmed, then swallowed. "Am I being a bother?" she whispered.

"No!" He almost shouted, wanting to smack himself on the forehead for being so insensitive. _Of course that's the first thing she'd think!_ he scolded himself. "No, Pay, you are _not_ a bother. Again, you're family now, and family is _always_ welcome." He shifted closer to her and put his arm around her. She released the hold around her legs and allowed herself to be pulled into him, snuggling up to him, accepting the comfort. "Just the opposite, Pay, Kayla and I love having you and if we had our way, we'd keep you. But," he hesitated, not even wanting to say the words out loud, but knowing he had to. "Technically, you are not any relation to us. Your parents, well, they-"

"-I know," she interrupted. "They're my parents and if they showed up right now and told me to come home, I'd have go with them." She sighed and leaned closer into him. "Uncle Seth, can we not talk about that?" she asked. "I know I can't live with you an' Aunt Kayla forever, even though I want to. But for right now, can I pretend that I can and I will?"

He couldn't refuse her request, not when it was something he wanted to do too, to pretend that Payton could stay with them forever. He knew the day would come when that wouldn't be possible, but for right now, was there any real harm in playing make believe for awhile? "All right," he said, his arm still around her, feeling the warmth of her small child's body snuggled up to his, feeling nothing but love and protection for this girl who had come into his life. "Just know this, Pay, you always, always have a place with Kayla and I. You are always welcome wherever we are. And if things get bad? You can call me or Aunt Kayla, or text us, whatever. We'll do whatever is in our power to help you." _And god forbid your parents abuse you or neglect you in any way anymore, because we will do whatever we can to fight for you._ He didn't say that last part, but he hoped she understood.

"I know," she said simply. "Because we're family."

End of Part Thirteen.


	14. Chapter 14

Wrestlemania was more than a four hour Pay Per View event, Wrestlemania was the closest thing wrestling nerds had to nirvana, a combination of wrestling show and convention. While Wrestlemania the PPV event was on Sunday, Wrestlemania convention started the Wednesday before, with house shows and all types of events going on inside the local convention center, right near the stadium, and ended on Tuesday, when the post Smackdown would be filmed. Not in the big, outdoor arena, but some place near by.

It was a heady week for the superstars, a week of rubbing elbows with the fans, doing all sorts of media events, of being a big shot in whatever city they were in. Even folks that claimed to be indifferent to wrestling got pretty excited when Wrestlemania came to their city. For that one week, everyone in the area was either a big wrestling fan or hated wrestling with a passion, but nobody was indifferent. You couldn't be, because Wrestlemania and thus, wrestling, was everywhere.

This would be the fourth Wrestlemania for Seth as part of the WWE. The first three he had been a member of Shield. Now he was Seth Rollin's Mr. Money in the Bank. And he was looking forward to this year more than any other, even the first year when he'd been so excited and nervous that he was terrified he'd fall down the stairs as they made their way through the crowd. Not that he was worried about getting hurt, but because that would have been so embarrassing. This year he felt almost like a veteran, but there was still that air of excitement.

There was a strict schedule you followed for Wrestlemania week, and being absent or tardy for anything was highly frowned upon and could lead to fines. However, the powers that be also recognized that everyone needed to be at the top of their game for the PPV, and that families, both immediate and extended would be there, and that their superstars needed this time to connect. Therefore, while the schedule needed to be followed to the letter, there were still down times, both for sleeping and visiting with loved ones.

Seth had an autograph session when Kayla and Payton were due to arrive, so he wasn't able to get to the airport to pick them up, but they had made arrangements to meet in one of the restaurants in the convention center, right after his session. So, he was pleasantly surprised when the last half hour was starting and he suddenly heard Payton's voice above the crowd surrounding his table, "Uncle Seth!"

He looked up from the picture he was signing and looked around. He saw a small hand appear and disappear above someone's head, and he laughed. Payton was jumping up and down with her hand raised to make up for her lack of height. "Excuse me," he said, politely, but loudly enough to be heard by everyone surrounding him, and the members of the security team. "Would anyone mind if my niece and my fiancee came over? I won't stop signing, I promise."

While it was true that wrestling fans could be a little bit on the obnoxious side when it came to some things, Seth generally found that in situations where everyone was face to face, and the rules of Kayfabe were not followed closely, the fans were very considerate of their favorite Superstars. Even though people had been waiting in line for a long time to get these autographs and some of them were tired and irritable, when Seth pointed to where Kayla was waving and Payton's hand kept appearing as she jumped, the crowd parted as if he were Moses and they were the red sea. Payton didn't hesitate, she scurried through the crowd, ducked under the apron draped around the table Seth was sitting at, crawled under the table and popped up on the other side, throwing her arms around him. He hugged her back, tightly. "Good to see you, Pay," he said.

"I missed you!" she enthused, as if it had been weeks instead of four days since he last saw her. Then, she saw the crowd watching them and drew back. "I'm sorry!" She sounded contrite, but not horrified. "I'll let you finish!"

The crowd laughed in appreciation. If anyone recognized her as Preston Caldwell's older sister, they said nothing about her now being identified as Seth's niece. Payton moved back, standing by the wall. Kayla, who had been more patient came up too, giving Seth a quick half hug. "She really wanted to see you," she whispered into Seth's ear.

"It's okay," he whispered back, going back to signing autographs.

"We'll stay out of the way until you're done." Without waiting for a reply, she drew back to where Payton was standing and let him continue. And they stood there, quietly for the rest of the session. Occasionally, when he could, Seth turned to look at them and saw both of the smiling at him. Payton was wearing her Seth Rollins T-shirt, with her Dean Ambrose hoodie over it. If it occurred to her how weird that looked, given the current story lines, she obviously didn't care. She was grinning brightly, obviously pleased to just be close to him, even if she couldn't talk to him.

When the autograph session was finally finished and the area cleared out, Seth was able to greet Kayla and Payton with proper hugs and a kiss from Kayla that even even though it was perfectly PG, he felt it all the way down to his toes. "I see Payton's not the only one who missed me," he whispered in her ear when their lips had separated.

"Oh, no she isn't," Kayla whispered back. "I got spoiled, having my man in our bed for five days."

* * *

 

While the Superstars and their families were welcome to wander the convention center and go to any of the facilities within, sometimes it was hard to actually do that without getting mobbed, by eager fans, especially when trying to eat. Because of this, there was always catering at the arena and convention center and it ran as long as the activities were open. And usually, because it was Wrestlemania, the food quality was better. Being the company that got to cater for the stars of Wrestlemania was a feather in a catering company's hat, and the WWE wasn't above using that as a bargaining chip to get the best place in the area for a minimal price. Having eaten breakfast in catering, and knowing whoever was doing the catering this year was knocking themselves out to impress the talent, Seth suggested they eat lunch there instead. Both Kayla and Payton agreed.

When they got to the catering area, the Caldwell's were there, sitting with Dolph and Daniel. Preston was in a wheelchair, and he was wearing a nasal cannula, which lead into a portable oxygen concentrator. He was still too thin and he still had dark circles under his eyes, but those eyes were bright and taking everything in. He actually looked a lot better than Seth thought he would.

"I need to go say hi," Payton said quietly, looking at her family, then at Seth. "But I'll be back."

She left, not asking for permission. "Her folks didn't even meet her half way," Seth muttered darkly.

"We were all on the plane together," Kayla told him. "So, it's not like we haven't seen them recently."

"Oh," Seth said, then frowned. "I'll bet they didn't rush to hug her when you met up at the airport or whatever, did they?"

"No," Kayla said softly, as they joined line for food. "But, she has seen them every day, when visiting her brother."

_Big deal_ , Seth thought, but out loud he changed the subject. "Preston doesn't look too bad. I mean, he doesn't look healthy by any means, but I thought he'd look... worse."

"He's looking better than he did," Kayla admitted. "I think Wrestlemania and seeing his buddies again helped revitalize him a bit."

"So what happens when Wrestlemania is over?" Seth pondered, barely aware he was speaking out loud.

"We'll see," Kayla said. She might have said more, but Payton came over. Apparently in less time than it took to brew a cup of coffee she had greeted and said all she needed to say to her biological family.

"Is everything okay?" Seth asked, hoping he sounded casual.

Payton nodded, but said nothing. She looked around the room instead, and when she saw Dean, Cinnamon and Neil, she tugged on Seth's sleeve. "It's Uncle Dean!" she exclaimed happily. "And Aunt Cinnamon and Neil are with him! Can we sit with them, Uncle Seth? Can we? Please?"

"Of course we can," Seth said.

 

* * *

 

By the time Seth, Kayla and Payton got their food, Dean and Cinnamon had also been joined by Roman, Jessica and Leah, too. The two young girls greeted each other like long lost sisters, Leah leaping from her chair, once Payton had put her tray down, and running over to hug her. Payton hugged her back, squealing happily, then the two of them started a rapid fire conversation back and forth, which to Seth, sounded almost like watching a movie in another language, where the occasional English word sneaked in.

Leah said, what sounded to Seth like, "Blah blah blah blah blah blah blah, Oh, blah _hair!_ Blah blah blah blah blah!'

And Payton nodded and responded with, "Blah blah, blah _shoes!_ blah blah blah blah blah!"

Then Leah shrugged, looking modest and said, "Oh! Blah blah blah blah blah _lipstick_ blah _pink!_ Blah blah!" And both of them clutched each other and jumped up and down a few times, clearly very excited about this.

"That's enough, girls," Jessica finally said, her voice firm, but smiling too, "Sit down and eat."

Seth looked at Kayla, "Did _you_ follow what they were saying?" he asked.

She nodded, looking serene and calm. "Leah likes Payton's hair. Payton thinks Leah's new sneakers are pretty. And Jessica is letting Leah wear lipstick, now. Pink. Actually, looking at her lips, I'd say it's more of a pink tinted lip balm than real lipstick."

"Okay." Seth shook his head, still confused.

Payton slipped next to Seth and sat down so he was sitting between her and Kayla. "Am I old enough for lipstick?" she asked, looking automatically at Kayla, convinced that this was something Seth would be useless about.

"I don't know," Kayla said, studying her. "You're a little young for the lipstick I wear, but we might be able to get you some like Leah wears, would you like that?

Payton nodded, happily. " Yeah, I would!" Then she dug into her lunch enthusiastically.

Lunch was interesting, with a combination of the three kids talking excitedly with each other, or at least Leah and Payton. Neil would join in until they switched the conversation into little girl things, and the six adults trying to catch up with each other. Of course, Dean, Roman, and Seth were talking about the things they still had to do to get ready for Wrestlemania, which at times seemed to bore the women, who wanted to catch up with each other and talk about their jobs, the kids, fashion, and current events that had nothing to do with wrestling.

Then, Neil spoke up and there was enough of a lull in the conversations, that everyone heard him. "Mom's taking me to a laser tag place tomorrow, while dad has to work. I'm sure we can take you two, too, if your parents say it's okay."

"Cool!" Leah's eyes lit up and she looked from her mom and her dad for conformation.

Payton looked between Seth and Kayla. "Can I? Please?"

It was only after the parents agreed that it occurred to Seth that Neil had said they would have to ask their parents, and that Payton had never even looked in the direction of her parents. It was like everyone just automatically acted like Seth and Kayla were her parents.

He would point that out to Kayla later that night, while they were in bed, talking quietly. With Kayla and Payton there, Seth didn't just have a hotel room, he had a two bedroom suite, which was pretty sweet. "Do we have to talk to Payton's parents?" he asked her. "Get them to give permission? I mean, do the parents have to allow it? I've never gone to one of those laser tag places, I don't know how they work."

"Usually, no," Kayla said. "It's assumed whoever brings the kids have permission from the parents or guardians to bring the child. But even if they did, it wouldn't be a problem."

"Why is that?" Seth asked, looking at her.

"We have a paper signed by Payton's parents giving you and I temporary custody of Payton. It gives us permission to act in her best interests regarding her physical and emotional well being,"

" _What?"_ Seth said, staring at her. She had dropped this bit of information with about as much fanfare as she would have used to announce that she had reordered checks from the bank.

"Remember when you were home and I said I had errands to run, Sunday?" she reminded him. "That was the errand."

He couldn't stop staring. Only Kayla could be this efficient. "How?" he started, shaking his head. "Okay, let's start with the fact that it was Sunday. How could you get a lawyer to write something up?"

He wouldn't have been surprised if she had said, 'Oh, don't be silly! I wrote it up myself with a little help from Legal Zoom.' But she smiled. "For the right amount of money, lawyers will work on Sunday. Besides, you forget, Stevie. our lawyer is a big wrestling fan, he's always happy to do these things for us, so he didn't even charge more than he would have if I'd asked him on a Monday. He wrote it up for me, and we went over to the Caldwells and had them sign it." We also got a notary public to stamp it and make it official."

"Was that hard?" Seth asked, still looking at her in amazed admiration. "Did her parents kick up any type of fuss?"

"Not as much as they should have," Kayla said, her tone light and breezy, but a slight furrow in her brows told Seth she wasn't happy at the lack of objection. Of course she wanted them to sign the paper, but obviously, she had hoped for a little more argument. "Stevie explained that it can be revoked at any time by them, that it isn't permanent."

"So, does this mean she's ours until they say otherwise?"

"Sort-of," Kayla said. "I mean, we can't move out of state with her. We shouldn't even take her out of state. But, there was a clause in it for Wrestlemania, so it's fine for her. But it does allow us to take her to a doctor if she's hurt. It would allow us to sign release forms in case she needs life saving surgery. Or, if we feel it's best for her emotional well being, we can take her to a child therapist, or a grief counselor."

Seth nodded, understanding now, exactly why Kayla had done what she did. Kayla wanted to get her help coping with her brother dying. "So, when does she have her first appointment with the grief counselor?" he asked.

"The Thursday after Wrestlemania," Kayla said. "I got her name from the local hospice group, she specializes in helping children deal with the loss of a loved one. She's said to be one of the best in the business."

Seth shook his head, trying not to laugh. Leave it to Kayla to get this all down and organized. "I think if you weren't part of my life, I'd be in total chaos all the time," he admitted.

"Well then," she said, pushing him on his back and climbing on him so she was straddling his waist. "It's a good thing I'm not going anywhere, isn't it?"

"Uh-huh," he said, allowing himself a broad smile. "Why Ms Springer, do you have something on your mind?" he asked as she leaned over and started kissing his chest.

"Mmm hmmm," she said, then looked up at him. "Just relax, baby, and let me do all the work."

It was an offer he couldn't refuse.

 

* * *

 

The next four days passed in a busy blur of autograph signings, house shows, talks, and various other activities, interspersed with down times all the wrestlers hid in their rooms and tried to sleep. But also, there were times when Seth could be with Kayla and Payton. They didn't go out and explore the city, knowing they'd get mobbed, the women were taking this kids out without their guys. But they did spend time in their suite, the three of them, playing cards, joking, watching TV, even ordering room service. Roman, Dean, and their families were on the same floor, which was heavily guarded at all times by security, so all of them wandered in and out of each other's suites on their down time, looking for missing kids or spouses.

On the night before Wrestlemania, Roman, Seth, and Dean met in Dean's suite, while the kids and the women were in Seth's suite, watching a family appropriate movie. On this night, as they had done the past three Wrestlemania's, the three men had a drink and toasted to the event that would happen the next day. The only difference was that this time, they would not be Shield, they would be three guys with their own thing. Dean in the ladder match for the IWC, Seth against Randy Orton, Roman against Brock Lesnar.

None of them knew the outcome of their matches, that would all be told to them tomorrow, but of course they speculated. Dean said he was 99% sure Daniel Bryan would win and that made sense, even though it didn't seem quite right. Seth was pretty sure he'd lose against Orton. Roman was strangely quiet.

"Do you think they'll let Brock win?" Dean finally asked him.

Roman was staring into his glass as if instead of Jack and Diet Coke, it might have the wisdom of the ages. "Yeah," he finally said. "I think they will."

"No way!" Dean said quickly. "People are tired of a part time champion. Yeah, okay, Brock has his fans, people like him, and I think there's a place for him, but it gets boring that the belt only gets defended every six months or so."

"Yeah," Seth agreed, taking a sip of his own drink, a screwdriver, which yes, he knew was not _good_ for him, but somehow, because it contained orange juice, he could convince himself it wasn't _bad_ for him either. "C'mon, you've been marked as the man to win for a long time."

Roman took a sip of his drink and brought the glass to the table, a little too quickly. "Yeah, and everyone fucking hates me for it." His voice was flat, devoid of anger, devoid of any emotions at all, he might have been saying it was raining outside.

"That's not true," Dean said quickly. "You have your fans."

"Yeah," Roman said, a derisive snort escaping him. "I've got my fans all right. But compared to my anti-fans, my fans are few, far between, and drowned out. Every time I walk around this place, people boo me." He swallowed. "I was in the men's room near the autograph area today, and some 'fan' almost held me prisoner as I was trying to take a leak, to tell me everything that's wrong with me." He paused to knock back his drink, then slammed the glass back on the table and stood up and started pacing the room. "He had a long list of complaints about me too; I can't wrestle, I'm only where I am because of my family, I think everything should be handed to me because I'm an arrogant good looking snot, I don't deserve this shot, there are people far better than I am who are getting overlooked because of me. I should leave my wife so my kid doesn't grow up knowing her dad is a fucking loser."

"What?" Dean stared at Roman, nostrils flaring as if he wanted to find this person, right now, and have a little 'talk' with them. "Did he really say that?"

Roman looked at him, "No, I'm making it up, of course he said it." He had emotion in his voice now, and it was bitter. "Over five minutes he rambled at me, until security finally came in and broke it up, but let me tell you, they let him go on for awhile, as if they enjoyed watching him tear me down."

"Was it WWE security?" Seth asked, feeling almost shocked at this turn of events. As he had noted when the fans happily parted to let Payton and Kayla move in on him, usually fans of the WWE were polite in more one on one sessions. They saved most of their hostility for when they were in the crowd.

"No," Roman said, "It was local security boys, hired for the events. And I think they thought I was getting what I had coming to me." He paced the room, long strides eating up the heavily carpeted floor. "And what kills me is that if I say anything that sounds even remotely like I could be questioning his right to tear me down? He'd run on social media talking about what an asshole Roman Reigns is, how arrogant and mean I was to him. And soon enough, the whole event would become, that he was minding his own business, maybe made one remark that maybe could be taken out of line, and I told him off. Meanwhile, I have to listen to him telling me how terrible I am, how I'm a terrible wrestler and a lousy human being?"

"Okay, you have your detractors," Dean admitted. "But seriously, that guy was just an asshole. Most folks aren't like that!"

Roman paused in his pacing and stared at him. "You're right, the nicest ones tell me that I can't wrestle, I suck on the mike, but it's not my fault because I'm being pushed too fast. Those are the _nice_ ones. Today I'm signing autographs and _several_ people came up to say they didn't want my autograph, they just wanted to tell me that they're going to have so much fun booing me out of the stadium at Wrestlemania. _Several_ people," he stressed the word again.

"I don't know why that is," Seth said slowly. "When they told us Shield was going to break up, you were the one I worried least about. Everyone loved you, not only the fans, but the Powers that Be. Everyone who knows you personally says you're a great guy. I figured I was the one who'd get lost in the shuffle."

"Is that why you volunteered to become the Authorities Spoiled Prince?" Dean asked.

Seth nodded. "Yeah, I-I figured it would give me some exposure. I-I didn't know I would be pushed like I was. I knew about being Mr. Money in the Bank, but you know, I figured I'd drop that, get the title for a week, then have it taken away from me. Now look, I still have the silly thing."

"Yeah," Roman said, looking at him. "Amazing, isn't it? You still have it."

"What are you saying?" Seth asked, sensing there was more to Roman's words than what was on the surface.

Roman shrugged. "I'm saying don't stash it in your locker tomorrow, thinking you won't need it." He sighed. "Look, I'm sorry, this isn't fair to you guys. You're both going to be awesome tomorrow, and I'm thrilled for both of you. I'm like a wet blanket at this party, so I'm going to pack it in and call it a night. You two go on without me, I'll see you in the morning." And before either of them could object, he left the room.

For a moment, Dean and Seth took turns staring at the door, then back at each other, not knowing quite what to do. "Do we go after him?" Dean asked.

As much as Seth wanted to, he shook his head. "No, he needs to be alone." Roman normally was the complete opposite of a broody, moody guy, he was cheerful and outgoing. Seth remembered when he first saw Roman, back in the days of FCW, before FCW became NXT. Roman was the newcomer, trained by his father and other members of his family, but FCW was his first shot at professional wrestling. Seeing him for the first time, Seth pegged him for an arrogant douche bag, who would barely talk to anyone, not thinking them worthy of his conversation, a good looking guy who knew he was good looking and thought therefore the world owed him everything. Instead, Roman was friendly with everyone who gave him a chance. Seth expected him to be defensive and stand offish about his lack of wrestling experience, instead he was open, honest, and appreciative of any and all advice. He treated the guys who had been in the indies, as if they were veterans and he was the rookie. He listened to what they had to say, he asked them for advice. He had been the complete opposite of what Seth had thought he would be and the three of them became friends even before the idea of The Shield was ever suggested.

"Do you think he's going to lose to Lesnar tomorrow?" Dean asked.

Seth bit his lower lip. "I think the odds of that are pretty high, to be honest. I don't know why, Dean, but he's right, for some reason, a lot of the WWE Universe has a big Hate-On for Roman, and he can't do anything right. I know he's trying, but these folks are just looking at him, waiting for him to screw up. Oh, sure, they say it's because there are people in the back who are more worthy, like Dolph, but Dolph had his time as the champion. Okay, Bryan fans? Yeah, they're pretty upset that their boy isn't winning. They seem to forget that Bryan was out on an injury, that it wasn't the fault of the WWE that Bryan couldn't be a defending champion. They feel the WWE owes them something. I-I tried to tell Trips that they should let Bryan win this year. But Trips thinks that no one would ever believe Bryan could defeat Lesnar."

"It would look pretty far-fetched," Dean agreed. "But you're right, it would have been the best thing for Roman. Give Bryan a good long run as champion, then let Roman take the belt from him."

"Yeah," Seth finished his drink and put his own glass down, much quieter and gentler than Roman had. He looked over at the clock and realized they had been talking and drinking for over two hours. "The movie should be over by now," he remarked, standing up. "And I do want to get some sleep before tomorrow. It'll be a big day."

"Yeah," Dean agreed, standing up and walking to the door with him. "By the way, how are things going with Payton?" he asked just as Seth's hand was on the knob.

"Things are going great," Seth admitted. "It's like she just fits in so well with Kayla and I. And she seems happier, you know? Like less of the weight of the world is on her shoulders."

"Yeah, that's obvious, just looking at the three of you together and it's like all I see is a family that isn't, but should be. Too bad you can't keep her." While Dean had spoken in a light voice, there was a deeper truth, as if he were saying more than the mere words.

"Yeah," Seth opened the door, sighing a little louder than he intended. "It is too bad."

End of Chapter Fourteen


	15. Chapter 15

Randy won at Wrestlemania.

Seth had known before they entered the ring that Randy was going to win, but a tiny part of him was disappointed anyway. It wasn't that he begrudged Randy anything, Randy Orton was a really decent guy. What bothered Seth was that he knew Payton was hoping he would win. With Kayla, it didn't matter, she only cared about wrestling because of him, and it didn't matter to her who won or lost, as long as he was happy. But even though Payton knew it was scripted, the girl was young enough that she still believed that winning meant something, even scripted winning. He didn't want to disappoint the young girl, and he felt that was exactly what he was doing. He would have liked to have walked out the victor, just to see the grin on her face as he walked by. Instead he saw her looking at him, cheering, but a worried expression on her face, obviously concerned for his well being.

Preston, however, who was sitting close by, was cheering as loud as he could, thrilled that Seth had lost. _At least I got to make someone's day_ , he thought, as he headed up the ramp.

When he got backstage, Risa the intern came running up to him, out of breath and looking as if she might have fallen victim to spontaneous human combustion if she hadn't spotted Seth when she did. "Mr. Rollins! Mr. Rollins!" she said, her voice high pitched with excitement. "Mr. McMahon wants to see you right away!"

"Okay," he said, wondering why this was such an emergency. He had seen Payton and Kayla in the audience, so there wasn't a problem with them. It was known he was just finishing off his match, so it wasn't like he was hiding. But, whatever it is, it was obviously important. He didn't even bother to change or grab a bottle of water, he hurried to the office Vince had set up. Along the way, at least three security people and two other interns told him that Mr. McMahon was looking for him, so he was relieved, and panting pretty hard by the time he got there. One of the security people was standing outside and they opened the door for him immediately when they saw him.

He walked in to find Vince, Hunter, Brock, Paul Heyman, and Roman. Vince was sitting behind a desk, everyone else was sitting in various chairs around the office. As Seth walked in, he was suddenly glad he wasn't claustrophobic, because with all these men, the room, which was none to big to begin with, was starting to feel like a shrinking closet. "Hey," he said, looking around the room. Roman was sitting on a chair that seemed a little too small for him, and his arms were crossed over his chest. He had a look of determination on his face, as if he was trying to hold something back. _Uh-oh_ , Seth thought, to himself, but out loud he said, "What's up?"

"Change of plans," Vince said, "You're cashing in your Money in the Bank briefcase tonight."

"Okay," he said, slowly, while his mind split onto two trains of thought, the first being, _Roman was right_ , the second being, _Holy shit, am I going to become champion tonight?_ He knew though, that cashing it in wasn't a guarantee he'd be champion, but the odds were pretty good. "So, we're going to do like we talked about, but do it tonight instead?" Originally their had been talk that Roman would win the belt and hold it for one night. The next night at Raw, Brock would rush out to challenge him, and Seth would interfere then and get the belt. The idea was that the fans would feel sorry for Roman, barely having it at all before it was snatched away from him by the traitor Seth. Then, Brock was supposed to take it from Seth at the very next pay per view. This would lead into Roman and Seth challenging him at the next PPV in a triple threat match.

"No," Vince shook his head. "You're going to run down when Roman is finally getting the upper hand. You'll cash in turning it into a triple threat match. Roman will have thrown Brock out of the ring and Brock will be dazed. So will Roman. You will curb stomp Roman and pin him, thus winning the belt."

Seth heard the words but he was having trouble absorbing them. The only thought that did enter his mind was, _Wow, no wonder Roman is pissed, this taking everything away from him! He won't even be in the running for a rematch clause. Shit, they're throwing him down the card with this._ "Wh-why can't we do it the way we talked about before?" Seth asked, blurting it out before he could stop himself. "Even if we do it tonight, why can't Roman win the belt and then I take it from him?"

"Because we want to build something up between you and Brock," Vince said, looking extremely pleased with himself, as if he was getting a huge kick out of this. "People like you, Seth. Or they love hating you, it makes no difference, you're the authority so hating you is good. We're thinking of making Brock a good guy, so it'll be perfect. Odds are, you'll be champion until Summer Slam. Oh sure, we'll have you defend the belt at the other Pay Per Views, but we'll find a way to make sure you win. Randy will keep being your number one rival, sort-of filling in for Brock. Paul will come out and let you know Brock is gunning for you, but we'll work out a reason why he won't be there."

"He's going to go on a rampage tomorrow night on Raw and thus be suspended indefinitely," Hunter said. His gaze kept alternating between Roman, Seth, and Brock. "This will explain why he isn't here for awhile."

_And no one will buy it unless they're stupid or under seven_ , Seth thought, wanting to shake his head in disbelief. Everyone knew Lesnar was a part timer who worked limited appearances, but he was a fan favorite, at least with a certain segment of the population. Something told Seth that when Summer Slam happened, Lesnar would win the belt and keep it again, possibly until Wrestlemania. Something also told Seth this might have been part of the agreement to get Lesnar to resign with the WWE. But having him "suspended " tomorrow wouldn't fool anyone.

"So, do you think you're ready?" Vince was all smiles to Seth. "Is everyone in here, ready?"

Everyone in the room but Seth nodded. Roman's nod was curt and he rose to his feet. "Since this is settled, I'd like to go get prepared."

"Sure," Vince said, magnanimously, sounding as if he was giving Roman the keys to the kingdom. "You go get ready. Just remember, not a word to anyone, even your family. They'll know soon enough."

"You have my word on that, Sir," Roman said. He looked at Seth and smiled, and it was a genuine smile too, although it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Congratulations Seth, you're about to become the Face of the WWE."

Before Seth could think of anything to say to that, Roman walked out the door. Brock and Paul followed behind him, but Seth waited. When it was just himself, Vince and Hunter, he took a deep breath and asked, "How could you?"

"How could we, what?" Vince stared at him in surprise. "This is your chance, Seth! You're not only going to win, but you're going to win at Wrestlemania! No one has ever won their Money in the Bank match at Wrestlemania. You'll make history."

"Yeah, by kicking my friend and brother down the card," Seth said, trying not to sound bitter. "What's the game here, Vince? Up until Brock resigned, Roman was the future of the company, everyone said you were one hundred percent behind Roman. Now you're throwing him under the bus. What gives?"

"We haven't given up on Roman," Hunter said, his voice calm. "But we have to do what's best for the company and Roman isn't as over as you are."

"And whose fault is that?" Seth asked, knowing he was being insubordinate, and suddenly not caring. _They're giving me the championship tonight, they certainly aren't going to fire me._ "You knew he had the least experience on the mike, yet you threw him out alone. Christ, you even gave him a slogan, 'One Vs. All!' which pretty much said he had to do it alone. When I was having trouble going over you gave me Mercury and Noble. It may not seem like much, but having two guys nodding and clapping whenever I opened my mouth helped me more than you think. You guys have carried me to the top, and don't get me wrong, I'm grateful as hell, but all this time you've been saying you're behind Roman Reigns, that you believe in Roman Reigns and it's starting to seem now like you don't. It's starting to look like Roman and Dean were used as canon fodder to get me to the top, and that isn't what was supposed to happen!"

"Seth, " Hunter said, slowly and calmly, "You can't blame us because Roman wasn't able to put himself over with the fans."

"I _can't?"_ Seth stared at him. " _Suffering succotash_ , Hunter, who is to blame? When Roman was a member of Shield he was great, he was going places, all three of us were. You broke us up when we didn't want to be broken up, and then you flung Roman out alone. You made it seem like you expected him to carry the company on his shoulders and yet you did everything you could to make him look bad. You gave him cheesy lines, you went out of your way every chance you got to tell the world how much you loved Roman, when you both knew, after the whole Daniel Bryan thing, that the fans don't want to be told who to like, _they want to feel they've chosen the champion themselves!"_ Seth looked from one man to the other, desperate for them to see what he was saying and not to just get pissed because he was talking back to them. "Now, when he has a chance to shine, just for a bit, you snatch that away from him. Even worse, you snatch it from him to give to me! Do I want to be champion? Yes, I do, more than anything else, except I don't want to do it by screwing over Roman."

"Seth," Vince said, "Calm down, it's-"

"-Why?" Seth interrupted, shaking his head. "It's bad enough that you've turned Dean into an upper card jobber, having him lose to me, Bray Wyatt, Barrett and now you're going to give Daniel the intercontinental championship to appease the fans, but I know Dean, he'll always find a way to make it work because he's Dean MF Ambrose. But Roman? He's still a rookie. He wasn't ready for this push in the first place, and now, on the day of Wrestlemania you take it away from him? You had to know he wasn't ready, you had to realize you were pushing him too hard and too fast. But damn it, couldn't you have stopped the train before you decided to derail it on the guy?"

"Seth!" Hunter's voice was firm. "I don't think you understand. This was _Roman's_ idea."

Seth was about to say something and closed his mouth, staring at both Hunter and Vince. "What?" he finally said, and his voice was a whisper.

"This was Roman's idea," Vince said repeating Hunter's words. "I mean, we decided you were going to win, but you were going to win against Roman, the Champion. Roman himself suggested that we do it this way."

"We even offered to have you pin Lesnar," Hunter said, his voice quiet, but Seth knew he was speaking the truth. "We thought that at least have Roman not have been pinned, but Roman said the only way to do this was to have him be the one who got pinned. That it would give Lesnar twice as much reason to be pissed off, and it put himself completely out of the picture."

"Wait a moment," Seth shook his head. "This is what _Roman_ wants?"

Vince nodded. "Hell, he was pretty insistent on it, if you want to know the truth. Not that this doesn't help us a lot too, but it was what he really wanted."

Seth took a deep breath, feeling confused, but knowing he had to try to smooth things over with Vince and Hunter, at least for now. "Okay, sorry I got upset," he said, hoping that would be enough to placate them, but adding, "I still think you handled him all wrong, but at least you weren't trying as hard as you could to throw him under the bus. Thank you for this chance, I really appreciate it, I won't let you down, but I have to go now, I have to find Roman."

"All right," Vince said, now shaking his head as if he didn't quite believe what had gone on in this room and deciding if he should just let it go for now, or read Seth the riot act for speaking out later. "Just be ready to go out there when you're told."

"I will."

* * *

 

Seth found Roman in his private dressing room. He was one of the main event superstars this year, of course he had his own private locker/dressing room and unlike other times, Roman had taken advantage of it. Security was outside the door and when Seth approached they shook their head. "He said no visitors."

"Oh? He did?" Seth said, "Well, I'm not a visitor, I'm his brother, so screw that." Before they could stop him, he walked inside. He knew that had he been anyone but a fellow Superstar, they would have grabbed him and possibly tasered his ass, but fortunately, he _was_ a Superstar, so while they weren't happy, they didn't stop him.

Roman was just finishing putting on his ring gear when Seth came in. "Hey, Seth," his voice was as calm as if they were meeting at the bar around the corner for a drink.

"Don't you 'hey Seth, me, Roman," Seth said, scowling.

"All right then," Roman said, shrugging, "How's this? What's up asshole?" He grinned as he spoke.

"I'd feel better if you were serious about that," Seth admitted. "Gesh, Roman, Trips and Vince just told me that you pretty much insisted it goes down this way, is that true?"

Roman paused from bucking up his vest to nod. "Yes, I did."

"Why?" Seth asked, his brows furrowing in surprise and disappointment. "I felt bad enough that the most you were going to have with the belt was a day, but now you're not even going to hold it at all?"

"Nope." Roman said, doing an almost perfect imitation of Dean when he had uttered that word, so long ago, when Shield was so new they practically still had their price tag on them.

"Why?" Seth asked again. "Roman, do not tell me this is some noble sacrifice you're making in order to give me my chance. I'm going to get my chance even if you do hold the belt!"

Roman smiled. "No, it's not, Seth. If that was the reason for this, I'd go see a doctor, because clearly I need my head examined. You're popular, Seth. You're a bad guy who gets booed and cheered and that's fine. You're in no danger. But, I mentioned last night that the fans don't like me? Well, I did some thinking, they've got some valid reasons."

"Oh?" Seth shook his head, not believing what he was hearing.

"Look, I was pushed, too hard and too fast," Roman said. "And I was pushed poorly. I should have had a proper build up, proper story lines. I tried to tell them that earlier, that I needed to be slowed down, but they weren't listening. They were telling me not to worry about it, I'd be fine. So, I told myself that they were right. They had been in the business long enough, they knew what was best, so I could do this. But I couldn't. I was afraid to stray from the script because I didn't want to lose my job. I was afraid to fight them and tell them 'this is lame, this isn't me,' for the same reasons. So, I did what they said, Seth, but what they said was wrong. Completely wrong."

Seth frowned. Roman was right of course, at least on how they had pushed him, but surely that wasn't his fault. So why did he have to take the fall? "You didn't ask for poor lines and poor booking," he finally said.

"Nope, but I didn't _fight_ them either," Roman said. "Seth, you _should_ be champion. You have made everything work for you. You played your part perfectly. Hell, even when we weren't in the ring, even when we were traveling on the same plane together, you kept up your side of the bargain. The last time we flew, you would look at us with looks of disdain and contempt every once in awhile, like 'Why are they letting these idiots breathe the same air as me?' It was beautiful."

"That's because Dean was throwing peanuts at me," Seth protested. "I could act annoyed, because I was annoyed."

"No, you weren't." Roman shook his head. "Everyone else on that plane thought you were, but I know you, little brother. Dean knows you too. Yeah, you played the part of pissed off, but you were pleased Dean was including you, letting you know you had your place with us."

"I did get sick of it after awhile," Seth admitted, sighing. "But yeah, at first I knew it was Dean's way of letting me know that I was still one of you guys in spirit."

"Yeah, and it took you quite awhile to get sick of it," Roman said. He reached out and put a hand on Seth's shoulder. "Look, you have worked harder than anyone for this."

"I also had a lot more support," Seth reminded him.

"So?" Roman shrugged. "I'm sure if they started pushing you down the road to lameness, you would have come out swinging. I didn't. I let them tell me what to do. If I didn't know any better, I'd say I'd been tested by Vince and it took me until today to realize it."

"What do you mean?" Seth was stunned. Roman seemed so tranquil about this, so zen.

"His whole thing about grabbing the brass ring? He wants someone who's going to go out there and do what they think is best. They aren't going to worry about anything but proving to the WWE Universe that they deserve to be the champion, because they're the best. If someone told them to tell fairy tales to Big Show, they might say they would, but then they'd go out there and ignore the script, they'd come up with something else, something better. I didn't do that. I did what they said to the letter. I let them push me because I wanted to be the main guy. I wanted to be the big shot. And I wasn't ready."

"You were a lot more ready than you think!" Seth protested. "You were doing great, until Shield split up and they started pushing you as the next big thing." He sat down on the bench in the room, staring at his friend. "I just told them that was the biggest mistake they made. The fans never like it when Vince tells them who they should like. And they knew that, coming off of everything with Daniel Bryan."

"Maybe they did, maybe they didn't," Roman said, shrugging. "But that isn't the point. The point was the I _knew_ it, but I ignored it. I thought I was awesome enough to do it even with that strike against me. I failed. I let them tell me what to do thinking it was enough. I should have worked harder, I should have demanded more. But I don't hold this against Vince or Hunter, I hold it against _me._ You did everything right. You did what they told you, unless it wasn't working, then you pestered them until it was fixed. I dropped the ball. I don't know if I can fix myself or not, but I'm going to try. And I start tonight. I lose. Brock is going to slam me all around that ring and when the time is right, you'll come out and snatch the victory for yourself. It's beautiful, Bro. It fits right in with the person you're playing."

"So, why do I feel guilty?" Seth said, feeling slightly bewildered by this attitude, this peaceful feeling that was coming off of Roman.

"I don't know," Roman said, "You shouldn't. You should be proud. You've worked hard and you deserve this."

"You worked hard too," Seth pointed out, wanting to grab Roman and shake him, and he didn't know why. For some reason, Roman's calm was infuriating to him. He wanted Roman to be angry, he wanted Roman tell him that Vince and Hunter needed to learn self fornication. "You were the first one in the door and the last one to leave. You've asked everyone you can about how to improve as a wrestler. You took acting lessons for your problems with the mike. Don't you dare say you didn't work hard."

"I did," Roman admitted, nodding. "I worked very hard. But what I didn't work, was _smart."_ He sat down on the bench, straddling it, and looked at Seth. "Seth, it's cool. I wish I'd woken up six months ago, six weeks ago, six days ago, but I didn't. Last night when I was telling you my woes and sorrows with the fans, that's when it hit me, I haven't _earned_ their respect. I haven't done anything spectacular. I've been in boring story lines and delivered boring promos. Yeah, I can blame the writers, but I have to blame myself too. I should have fought harder for me. Maybe it's too late, but I'm hoping it's not."

"So, what do you do now?" Seth asked.

"I go out there," Roman said. "I look determined and I get my ass handed to me by Brock Lesnar. I deal with the boos, because they'll be there. But I don't care. I'll do what I can to put on a great show, and if the fans don't like it, well, I did my best."

"Then what?"

"Then we see," Roman said, shrugging. "But this time I'm not going to lay down quietly. If they want to push me down the card for awhile, that's fine. Personally? I'd love to get into a rivalry with someone for the US championship." He laughed, and Seth could really see that the tension he'd been feeling lately was rolling off his friend. "If I win it, then Dean and I could feud. Wouldn't that be great? I win the belt and Dean comes out and tells me that he's happy for me, but, that the belt looked a lot better on him than me."

"You and Dean would put on a good rivalry," Seth admitted. "I loved being in the rivalry with him, because we both knew each other and trusted each other. We could take risks, knowing the other would do all he could to protect him."

"Yeah, that would be fun," Roman admitted. He reached out and put his hand on Seth's shoulder. "Buddy, it's cool. This is the way it should work, and it will work out fine. Just be in gorilla and ready to go when they tell you to." The words were barely out of his mouth when there was a knock at the door and someone called out, "Mr. Reigns, security is here to escort you."

Roman grinned. "That's my cue." He headed for the door and was opening it, when he looked back at Seth. "Promise me one thing, bro."

"Anything!" Seth said quickly.

"When you curb stomp my head? Give it everything you've got. At least make it look like you really had to give it your all to take me out. Will you do that for me?"

Seth nodded. "I'll heel hammer your skull right into the mat," he promised.

Roman nodded in return and smiled. "That's all I ask, Champ." And before Seth could say anything else, he walked out the door.

 

* * *

 

Seth did the only thing he could do. When he went out with the briefcase, he curb stomped Roman as hard as he could to make it look as good as possible. And when he pinned him, as loud as he dared, he said, "Thank you, so much." Seth was sure some mike picked it up somewhere and he was pretty sure it would make its way on to You Tube tomorrow.

Seth's ear was close to Roman's mouth when he pinned him and very quietly Roman responded, "You're welcome."

 

* * *

 

Somehow, Kayla was able to get herself and Payton backstage and to the door of the locker/dressing room Seth was using before he was out of the shower and changed into clean ring gear. He knew that he was expected to play a huge part in the back stage, after mania festivities so he had been hurrying. But when he stepped out of the room, the belt over his shoulder, Payton was there, throwing her arms around him. "You won!" She exclaimed, and started babbling happily, "I was so sad when Randy beat you, but then you came out with the briefcase and you won! You're the champion!"

He didn't care if eight was too old to be picked up or not, balancing the belt on his shoulder, he scooped up Payton, hugging her back. "Yeah, I did. You were my good luck charm."

She hugged him again, this time wrapping her arms around his neck and kissing him on the cheek. "I loved it. You were awesome!"

"Aw, thank you!" he said, kissing the top of her head. "I'm glad you liked it."

"Congratulations, Champ," Kayla said, leaning in and kissing his other cheek. "You deserve it."

He wanted to ask how Roman's family was doing, but he was worried this might upset Payton, so he didn't. Instead, he put her down, and gave Kayla a perfectly family friendly kiss. Then, he knelt down so Payton could examine the belt carefully. "It still has Brock Lesnar's name on it," she remarked.

"Yeah, they'll fix that, soon," Seth said. And part of him wondered if there was a set of "Roman Reigns" plates somewhere that would be stored for later.

 

* * *

 

The catering area was usually the biggest meet and greet place for the Superstars and their families and the fans that were privileged enough for back stage passes. It was like a gigantic celebration.

A lot of Roman's family were there, both his immediate and extended. Seth kept his distance, not knowing how well he'd be received. Roman looked good though, considering that he'd been slammed around the ring most of his fight, then curb stomped into the floor. He was surrounded by his kin, Leah in his arms, Jessica on the other side of him. His family didn't look upset, too many of them veterans of this business, and they knew that at Wrestlemania, anything could be switched at the final second. But a few of them, Roman's parents, for example, looked a bit...subdued. Dean, Cinnamon and Neil were over with them as well, and Seth could hear Neil telling his dad that he was awesome, reliving the moment where Dean leaped off the ladder. Dean was trying to look modest, but you knew that whatever regret he had over not getting the Intercontinental Championship was fading under the lavish praise of his son.

Seth wanted to go over and see if he could say something to Dean, but of course that wouldn't be good. And besides, he was the new World Heavyweight Champion, he had a lot of people who wanted to greet him, get his autograph and talk to him. Kayla and Payton stayed with him when they could, but moved away when needed. But, every time he caught their expressions, they were smiling.

When the back stage pass fans were cleared out, and it was pretty much just wrestlers, family, and WWE employees, Roman came over, smiling. "C'mere," he said, motioning Seth to where his family and Dean's were still gathered. "Don't be all snotty, now that you're the Champion. You're still mine and Dean's little brother and the least you can do is say hello."

Seth swallowed, feeling a sudden lump in his throat. "This... it wasn't..." he stammered.

"I know," Roman said, putting his arm around Seth's shoulders and pulling him towards the large crowd of people. "And don't get too comfortable, Seth. You may have knocked me down, but you didn't knock me out of the fight."

When he got over to the group with Roman, he wasn't sure what to expect, but Dean stepped forward to give him a hug and congratulate him, and soon enough everyone was telling him how great he was.

And that felt as good as getting the belt had. Maybe even better.


	16. Chapter 16

Two weeks after Wrestlemania, Raw and SmackDown were being held at the iWireless center in Moline Illinois, which made Seth pretty happy, because from the door of his house to the stadium it was 3.6 miles. Even in busy traffic, it took no longer than 10 minutes to get there. Seth would have been hard pressed to find a hotel as close to the stadium as his own house was.

Of course, being that the event was so close to his home town, while Seth could sleep at home, he also had a lot of work to do and he knew it. Everyone in Davenport wanted a chance to talk to the home town boy, and the fact that he was now the WWE World Heavyweight Champion made him even more valuable. But, at least he knew he would be able to sleep at home and thus have a little time with Kayla and Payton. Even though he stayed in touch with them as best he could, he had missed seeing them in person since Wrestlemania.

He arrived home late Sunday night. Dean and Roman were with him. When it came to staying at each other's places, Kayfabe be damned, they were brothers, they wouldn't make the other two stay in a hotel when they could offer their homes. Kayla would have had his head on a platter if he'd even tried, because she looked at Roman and Dean as brothers as well.

Kayla was still awake when they came in, and Seth suspected she had taken a nap that afternoon so she would be awake. She greeted them all, gave them some sandwiches and got them to their rooms. Roman got the second official guest room, because Payton was using the first official guest room. Dean got the office-slash-guestroom. It had a queen sized futon sofa that was actually pretty comfortable. The first time he'd spent the night, he claimed it as his.

As he and Kayla were heading up to the third floor master suite, they walked by the room Payton was using. "Can I go in and see her real quick?" Seth asked Kayla.

She nodded and they both crept into the room. Like the other guest room, this too, had a king sized bed and Payton looked even smaller than she was, lying in the middle of it. She had the shade open, and the moonlight streaming through the windows was enough to see her by. She wore a pair of pajamas that were decorated in tiny, flying cupcakes and her arm was around a Teddy bear. Her hair was tousled around her head, but she had a peaceful expression on her face. Seth leaned over and gently as possible, kissed her on the forehead. Then, he and Kayla crept out of the room and up to their room.

"She looks good," Seth commented. "Is she still eating like a horse?"

"She eats her fair share," Kayla admitted. "And she still likes vegetables. But, she's also developed a fondness for Pepperidge Farms mint Milano cookies."

"And how could that have happened?" Seth asked, looking at Kayla with a smirk on his face.

"I have no idea," Kayla said, looking innocent.

It was well known by both of them, that Kayla had a weakness for the wafer cookies with the chocolate and mint centers and she always kept a bag of them in the house, rationing herself 1-2 cookies a night with a glass of milk. Seth could imagine Kayla introducing Payton to them and the two of them having them as a before bedtime snack and he smiled at the idea. It was on the tip of his tongue to say, "Like mother, like daughter," but at the last moment he caught himself and changed it to, "Like aunt, like niece."

"Mmm... yeah," Kayla said.

When they were getting into bed, teeth brushed faces washed, etc. Seth asked about Preston. "He looked pretty good at Wrestlemania. Is he still doing good?"

"I don't think so," Kayla said. "We didn't even go over there today. Her parents called and said he was too sick to see anyone, even her."

"How did Payton handle it?" Seth asked, worried that this was going to be too much for the girl.

"Pretty well, actually," Kayla admitted. "I asked her if she wanted to see Dr. Graves, her grief therapist, because she will fit her in if she needs extra time. But she said she'd go Thursday, like she usually does and she was okay with it." Kayla climbed into bed, snuggling up to Seth. "I probed her a bit, but I honestly think she wasn't upset. I don't know how she's going to react when Preston finally does die, but she seems to be handling it pretty well."

"What does Dr. Graves say?" Seth asked.

"She says Payton is a remarkably mature girl for her age in many ways," Kayla put her head on Seth's shoulder and pressed herself along side of him. "She says socially she's a bit behind children her age, nothing to worry about. When I explained how she's been pulled from school and hasn't had much interaction with anyone but Preston until we introduced her to Neil and Leah, the doctor seemed to think this was reason enough, and thus nothing we have to worry about. She says she should go to school as soon as possible, but we'll keep her out until next year and then let her go again when the new year starts. I've been working with her on her home schooling, she's pretty smart, and I think she should be able to catch up."

"Do you think we'll still have her in September?" Seth asked, trying to keep his voice from sounding too hopeful.

"I don't know," Kayla admitted. "I mean, I don't think Preston will be alive in September. I don't know if he'll make it to Memorial day at this rate. But, even if she's back home, which let's face it, she likely will be, there's no reason for her folks not to let her go to school."

"I don't know if I want her going home," Seth said, admitting what he had been thinking for a long time. "I don't care that the Caldwells are going to lose Preston. I can't forgive them for how they've treated Payton." He paused, realizing how bad that sounded, and amended his statement, "I mean, of course I care that they're losing Preston, but I don't think that negates how they've neglected Payton."

"I know," Kayla agreed, rolling onto her back and looking up at the ceiling. "I feel the same way. I'm so sorry that little boy will never enjoy a full life. I feel bad that his parents will lose him, but I also don't think that justifies how they've treated their daughter. She's such a wonderful child, Seth. She doesn't deserve the scraps she's been getting."

"So, do we get her taken away from Myron and Andrea?" Seth asked, deciding just to put the cards on the table. "Do we try to get custody of her ourselves?"

"Unfortunately, those are two completely different questions," Kayla said with a soft sigh. "I've talked to Stevie about it."

That didn't surprise Seth at all, of course Kayla had talked to their lawyer about this. It was a such a Kayla thing to do, try to get all the ducks in a row in case they were needed. "What did he say?"

"He said we might be able to get her removed from the Caldwells if we were persistent and willing to testify that they willfully neglected her. But, it wouldn't be pretty; we'd be going after a parents who are losing or have recently lost a child to cancer. A child who is beloved by your employer, by the way, which might make it worse, if they decide to testify that they observed the Caldwells to be good parents. Which remember, they _have_ been with Preston." Kayla rolled on her side again, so she was facing him, propping herself up on her elbow. "And, even if we can get her taken away from the Caldwells, that doesn't mean _we_ can get custody of her. If we do get her taken away from her parents, she becomes a ward of the state and we have to file for custody, which won't be easy, because we're not relatives of hers. This means she could end up in a foster home for a very long time."

Seth swore softly under his breath. "Why does it have to be so complicated?" he finally asked, frustration thick in his voice. "We love her, Kayla and she loves us. She's flourishing with us. She belongs with people who love her and want her to grow and prosper. Why can't we get the world to understand that?"

"I know," Kayla agreed, moving closer and running her fingers up and down his chest, more for comfort than any other reason. "I agree with you completely, she should be with us. But the courts see things differently."

"Then what do we do?" Seth asked, not sure if he was really asking Kayla, or tossing out the question to the universe in general.

"We stay in touch," Kayla said, choosing to answer him. "When the day comes where the Caldwell's take her back, we let her know we are always there for her. Hopefully, her parents will let us stay in contact with her. I don't see why they wouldn't, they've let us take care of her and they know she thinks of us as family. So, we'll stay in touch. I'll visit her every week, and maybe she can stay over here sometimes if her parents need some time alone. We pretty much take it day by day."

"Day by day," Seth repeated and shook his head. "It still doesn't seem fair, or right. Payton deserves stability. I'm worried that once Preston is gone, that things will get worse for her with her parents rather than better. I know that deep down that Andrea and Myron blame Payton for what happened to Preston. I know that sounds stupid, but I feel it in my gut. They think that Payton knocking her mother on to the ice did something to Preston that started this whole cancer ball rolling." He paused, exhaling sharply, even hating to speak out loud his concerns, as if to voice them would make them more real than they already were. "I'm scared that when Preston dies, they'll become even more resentful and neglect her worse. Or, maybe even go further."

"I know," Kayla said softly. "That's why it's so important that we keep in touch with Payton. She loves us, she'll be honest with us. If the Caldwells are neglecting her, or worse, we will take action."

Seth sighed wishing there was another way, but knowing Kayla was right. "Why can't life be simple?" he asked, again not sure if he was asking Kayla or the universe in general.

This time, Kayla didn't answer. Seth was pretty sure it was because she didn't know herself.

 

* * *

 

Preston came to the Raw show the next night, which surprised Seth. The kid looked pretty bad, the dark circles taking over his face, his eyes dulled by pain medication, which according to Kayla, he was getting quite a lot of. If a miracle happened and he suddenly went into complete remission, he'd probably have to go for drug rehab. He was still in his wheelchair, still hooked into oxygen, but he actually seemed pretty excited to see Dolph, Daniel, and John. And when Dolph won his match that night, Preston became almost animated in his excitement. When the commercial break came after the match, Dolph took the opportunity to go over to the boy and drop a kiss on his forehead, which made Preston beam and for a brief moment, you saw the kid he used to be before the cancer had him in a choke hold. Maybe even a glimpse into what he had been like before he even got cancer, before words like "Chemo" and "Pain management" entered his vocabulary.

The Caldwells and Preston sat close to where Payton and Kayla were sitting and whenever Seth saw them, Payton was holding her brother's hand. Seth wasn't sure if she was trying to comfort him or herself. She didn't go out of her way to communicate with her parents, but even when they were backstage, she stayed close to Preston. And when they left to go back home, she gave him the most gentle of hugs and a kiss on one bruised cheek. "Bye Preston," she said, softly. "I love you."

Preston looked at her, eyes wide and round. "I love you too, Pay-pay," he said, his voice raspy. "Bye-bye."

It would be later when Kayla would tell him that she found it odd that they didn't say they would see each other later, something they apparently told each other whenever she visited him at the house.

 

* * *

 

 

The next morning, while the five of them were eating breakfast, Seth's cell phone rang. He checked the screen and saw the call was coming from Dolph. A cold feeling washed over him, and he rose from the table. "I need some privacy," he muttered, and walked into the sun room.

As he shut the door behind him, he pressed the button to connect and put the phone to his ear. "Dolph?"

"Yeah," Dolph sounded completely and utterly wiped out. "Seth, I told Myron and Andrea I'd call you. Pres...Pres..." he stopped and Seth could hear him trying to choke out the words.

"He's gone, isn't he?" Seth said, gently, trying to spare his friend the pain of having to say the words.

"Yes." Dolph's voice was almost a whisper and while he wasn't crying, Seth could hear the tears weren't very far away. "I-I promised him I'd come over and see him b-because he s-s-said he wasn't s-sure he'd make the Sm-sm-smackdown taping. And when I got here, Myron and Andrea w-were in shock, I guess it h-happened just before I g-got here."

"Okay," Seth said, trying to assess the situation and see what was needed of him. "Are things under control? Do you need help?"

"I think it's under control," Dolph said, taking a deep breath and pushing the sorrow he was feeling away. "They called the police and they've removed... Pres. I don't know if they'll do an autopsy or not. Technically, because he didn't die in a hospital, I think they're supposed to, but with the kid being sick with cancer, they might overlook it, also there was a hospice nurse in the room too, when he died. F-fortunately, Myron and Andrea made all the arrangements for his f-f-funeral and all. But they're too choked up, I think, to talk to anyone right now. I-I hate to dump this in your lap, but P-Payton needs to know."

"Don't worry," Seth said, hoping his voice sounded both comforting and controlled. "We'll tell Payton. Do you need me to call anyone? Hunter or Stephanie? Did you have any media or good will work you had to do today before the show?"

"I-I called H-Hunter already, " Dolph admitted. "S-so I'm fine on that. I don't have to go in for the show until late call."

"Will you be able to do the show tonight?" Seth asked, concerned. "I know you were very close to him."

"I know," Dolph said. "And I know Pres would want me to go on tonight. So I will, for him."

"Okay," Seth said. "We'll tell Payton. And tell the Caldwells if they need anything, have them call us. I know Kayla will want to help. And they might want to see Payton."

"I'll tell them," Dolph said.

 

* * *

 

Seth tried to compose himself so he looked as normal as possible when he entered the kitchen. "Hey," he said.

Payton looked up, her eyes wide and round. "Preston is dead, isn't he?" she asked, her voice quiet.

Seth wanted to lie, wanted to let her finish her breakfast, the last one she would eat believing she had a living brother. But he couldn't do it. He had made it a point never to lie to her, and he wouldn't start now. So, he merely nodded.

"I knew it was coming," Payton said. She wasn't crying, but her eyes were damp. She pushed her plate away and said, "I'm not hungry anymore."

Neither was anyone else.

* * *

 

Seth had two interviews that day, that he didn't want to go to, but he knew he had to. Fortunately, Roman and Dean did not have anything they had to do, and they offered to stay with Kayla and Payton, forgoing their work outs, which Seth appreciated. When he came home to get them and to change to get to the arena, he found Dean, Roman and Payton on the couch, watching TV together, the girl between the two wrestlers, them close to her, as if protecting her. But when she saw Seth, she jumped up from the couch and ran over, throwing herself into his arms. He caught her, scooped her up and hugged her back tightly. And if he had his way, he would have never let her go.

* * *

 

Kayla and Payton stayed home that night, which Seth expected. He wished he could have stayed with them, but he knew just as Dolph did, that the show had to go on.

It was mentioned on SmackDown that Preston had died and a moment of silence was given, but other than that, it was business as usual. But Seth was still grateful when it was all over and he, Roman, and Dean could head back home. Dolph had told them that the wake would be tomorrow night and the funeral would be on Friday. Stephanie, Hunter and Vince were doing what they could to make sure the Superstars who wanted to, could make it to at least one of them. Some were given the time to go to both. Dolph and Daniel Bryan were given this special permission to go to both, and so was Seth. It was Stephanie who told Seth he was going to be able to go to both of them and he was sure there had been words with Hunter and Vince. Seth could almost see Vince pointing out that Preston hadn't even _liked_ Seth, and Stephanie saying it didn't matter, that Payton loved Seth, and right now Payton needed that support from her surrogate aunt and uncle.

That night when they got home, Payton was already asleep. "How has she been?" Seth asked.

"Subdued," Kayla said. "But she hasn't cried. I called Dr. Graves and asked if I should bring her in, but she said that chances are, Payton is in shock, to keep an eye on her, but right now there isn't much that can be done but let her come to terms with it."

"How do we let her come to terms with it?" Seth asked, "I mean, what do we do?"

"We be there for her, if she needs it, and we take it bit by bit. If we feel she needs her doctor, we'll call her."

"She seemed okay today," Roman said. They were sitting in the kitchen drinking herbal tea Kayla had fixed for them. Seth knew Dean would have rather had coffee, he'd become a bit of a coffee head, thanks to Cinnamon. But Kayla insisted they needed their sleep and herbal tea was the best bet for that. Seth didn't mind, it actually tasted pretty good.

"She was quiet, but I don't think we should expect her to be jumping up and down," Dean said. "I mean, her brother died. Yeah, he could be a pain in the ass, but he's still her brother, this has to be rough."

"I know," Seth admitted. "I-I just want to do what's right for her." He looked at Kayla. "Did her parents call and talk to her?"

Kayla shook her head and Seth could see the sadness in her eyes. "I asked her if she wanted to go over and see them, and she said no. I guess they're in shock, but..." her voice trailed off.

"But there's something really _wrong_ with those people," Roman finished for her. "I understand that they must be grief stricken over losing Preston, but you'd think they'd want their daughter with them, that they'd find comfort in having their living child around them."

"Yeah," Seth said, sadly. "you'd think that, wouldn't you?"

 

* * *

 

That night as he and Kayla lay in bed, both of them staring at the ceiling, not talking, just lost in their own thoughts, Seth heard a noise at the foot of the stairs. There were two doors, one at the top and the bottom of the stairs that lead to their master suite, and Kayla had gotten into the habit of leaving the bottom door open so if Payton needed anything she could knock. Carefully, Seth slid out of bed and slipped on a pair of pajama bottoms he kept nearby for just this reason. He slipped over to the door and opened it.

At the foot of the stairs, Payton was sitting, her feet tucked under her, back pressed against the wall, arms wrapped around her legs, head resting on her knees. "Payton?" he called out.

She looked up and he saw the tears in her eyes, reflecting off the dim nightlight they kept on the stairs. "S-sorry," she said, and he heard the sobs behind the words. "I-I jus-just wanted to be closer."

"Get up here, Pay," he called down.

She hesitated, then sprang to her feet and ran up the stairs, throwing herself into his arms so fast and hard that he almost was knocked over. He scooped her up and held her and she broke down completely, sobbing in his arms, clinging to him tightly.

He walked with her over to the bed and sat down with her, leaning against the pillows. While he hugged her, Kayla rubbed her back. No real words were spoken, just murmurings that both of them were there for her, and that both of them loved her.

End of Chapter Sixteen


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a warning... this chapter deals with some pretty sad subject matter, funeral rites, so on and so forth. It's necessary for the story. There's some light hearted stuff too, have no fear, but if you've been following the series, you know what's happened. The prewake rituals have to happen.

Proper or not, Seth and Kayla let Payton sleep with them, unwilling to make her sleep alone when it was clear she needed to be with them. They put her in the middle of the bed, between the two of them, but somehow, and Seth would never know exactly how this happened, when he woke up the next morning, he was in the middle of the bed, lying on his back, Kayla and Payton cuddled up on either side of him. For a moment, he just lay there, enjoying the feeling of the warmth and love he felt coming from both of the favorite females in his life.

Then, he realized he really, really had to pee. Fortunately, while he was debating how he could get out of bed without waking either Kayla or Payton, Kayla opened her eyes and in a sleepy voice, whispered, "G'morning, love."

"Good morning," he whispered back, gently moving away from Payton. "I'm sorry about this, but I really need to use the bathroom."

Kayla smiled, looking sleepily amused, but she moved out of the way to let Seth out of the bed.

The master bathroom was large and had one feature that Seth loved; the toilet was in its own room inside the room. While he and Kayla weren't very shy around each other, they had lived in too many crappy studio apartments on his road to success for shyness, but it was nice to know you could be using the john while the other was brushing their teeth or taking a shower and not have to worry about scents or noises. The little room had a very loud, very powerful vent fan, and Seth was sure that was deliberate.

When Seth got out of "The Inner Sanctum" (as they jokingly called it) Kayla was brushing her teeth at one of the sinks in the double vanity. "Is Pay still asleep?" he asked as he went over to the other sink to brush his teeth.

"No, she woke up and went to use her bathroom," Kayla said. The guest room Payton was using used to be the master bedroom, before the third floor attic had been converted, and it had its own private bathroom. Seth noted how Kayla had called it "her" bathroom, making it seemed as if it was Payton's and Payton's alone. And it is, he thought, as he brushed his teeth. Even when she goes home, when she visits here, that's her bedroom and thus that is her bathroom. He had the feeling neither he nor Kayla would be eager to have anyone else use that room, even if Payton wasn't staying with them. I want to paint that room her favorite colors. I want to buy her a new bedspread and sheets and fill that room full of toys and things she'd like.

He wondered if he was thinking like this because deep down, he knew the end of this time was coming near. Once the shock of Preston's passing died down, surely the Caldwells would demand their daughter come home and they would have to comply. And the part of him that loved that little girl as much as if she were his daughter, hoped fervently that Myron and Andrea would wake up and realized what a treasure they had in Payton. What a bright, delightful child she was, and they would put aside their false blame for Preston and even though they would never stop missing and loving Preston, would realize that they had quite a gift in their daughter and with time, would grow to love her as she deserved to be loved.

But another part of him, smaller, and much more self centered, wished he and Kayla could run away with Payton, go somewhere where they would never be found and start life over again. _I don't want to lose her!_ he thought.

"Me either," Kayla said.

He looked in the double mirror that ran the length of both sinks, where Kayla was looking back at him, her eyes filled with tears. For a moment, he thought she had read his mind and responded. Then he realized he must have said it out loud.

He put his toothbrush down and took the couple of steps towards her. She turned to face him and then the both of them were hugging each other, trying to comfort each other, trying to find the strength within each other to prepare them for the day they knew was coming sooner, rather than later.

 

* * *

 

 

When they went downstairs, Payton was already in the kitchen and so were Dean and Roman. And, much to Seth's surprise and shock, Dean was at the stove, pouring something into a fry pan.

"Uncle Dean is making scrambled eggs!" Payton enthused, once everyone had greeted each other. "And Uncle Roman is making toast!"

"Yeah, we're going to see if Roman is as good as Neil at toast making," Dean quipped, grinning brightly.

"Wow, this is nice!" Kayla exclaimed as she sat at the table, which had been set for five. "Even better!" she continued, when Roman took a break from the toaster and came over with a pot of freshly made coffee, which he poured into hers and Seth's cups.

"I'll reserve my judgment until I've tasted Dean's eggs," Seth said, trying not to grin.

"Aw, just you wait," Dean said, turning and pointing the spatula he was using at Seth. "You're going to love my eggs. Cinnamon and Neil say they're the best scrambled eggs they've ever tasted."

"They might be a bit biased," Seth pointed out, winking to Payton and Kayla, his back to Dean so he wouldn't see.

"They have excellent taste," Dean said. "You'll see. Once you taste my scrambled eggs, you'll never order scrambled eggs from Waffle House or IHOP again."

"I don't order them now," Seth reminded him. Usually, Seth eschewed places like Waffle House and IHOP, but when he had no choice, he usually ordered his eggs over medium.

"That's because you don't realize what good scrambled eggs are," Dean countered as he stirred the egg mixture with the spatula. "Once you taste my eggs, you'll wish you could eat them all the time."

"Again, I claim the right to reserve judgment until I'm eating them," Seth said, dropping another wink to Payton who was giggling, her hand over her mouth, trying to keep Dean from hearing.

"Well, I can tell you the toast is golden brown," Roman said, a grin on his own face. "So, if his eggs don't live up to the promises, we can at least have toast."

"Oh man, everyone loses faith in me," Dean said, shaking his head in mock disgust. "But you'll see."

Dean and Roman had done more than make breakfast. As they were eating (and Seth had to admit, Dean's scrambled eggs were pretty good) Roman told them that they had been in touch with Stephanie and Triple H. Seth had a late morning / early afternoon interview to do on a local sports radio show. They had managed to convince Stephanie that Seth shouldn't go, but that they could take his place. When Seth expressed worry about that, they assured him that they would do a fine job.

"Two for the price of one," Roman said. "They should be grateful."

"We'll make sure to do a show they will never forget," Dean said, with that half crazy grin on his face as he popped another forkful of eggs into his mouth.

"That's _exactly_ what I"m afraid of," Seth said, "But seriously, guys, I can do the interview."

"I know," Roman said in that voice that somehow managed to be both soft spoken and yet have an undertone that suggested he would brook no argument, "but we thought you might want to spend a little time with your lady and Payton this morning." He did not say, "Before the wake," which Seth was grateful for.

"You can come shopping with Payton and I," Kayla commented.

Seth looked at her, brow raised, as shopping was far from a favorite activity of his. He considered asking if they would mind dropping him off at Crossfit, but then Payton spoke up. "I need nice clothes, like dresses or something." She looked at her plate and her voice was quiet. She gently laid her fork off to the side. "For tonight and for Friday." She raised her head, looking at Seth. "You don't have to come."

"I know I don't have to," Seth said, his own voice soft. "But I'd like to.

* * *

 When they got to Macy's, Payton looked at the two of them and frowned. "Do I have to wear black?" she asked. "In movies and stuff, they always wear black at funerals. I don't want to wear black. Preston didn't like black."

"You can wear whatever color you want," Seth and Kayla said, almost in unison.

She picked out two dresses, one a beautiful sapphire blue and the other a glorious red color that reminded Seth of the breast of a cardinal. "Red is-was, Preston's favorite color," Payton said, as they stood in the line to pay for the dresses. She didn't say why she had picked the blue dress, but she didn't have to.

It was the color of Preston's eyes.

 

* * *

 

They found a pair of sandals in the shoe department that would work with both dresses. That's when Seth found out that Payton had very large feet for a young girl, size 5.5. He remembered hearing once that big feet on a child, meant the child would be tall, but when he asked Kayla about it, as Payton was testing out the sandals for comfort, she shook her head. "No, that's a myth for the most part. But, I do think it means she's getting ready for a growth spurt."

Payton came running over and looked at the sandals, then at Kayla. "They feel great!"

"You're not just saying that?" Kayla asked, eyeing Payton carefully. "I know they're very cute, but they have to be comfortable."

"They _are!"_ Payton defended, "I walked all around the store, I jumped up and down, and they feel great!"

"All right then," Kayla said, nodding, after she studied them on Payton's feet for a few moments, seeming to judge them acceptable. "We'll get them."

"Why would she want shoes that were uncomfortable?" Seth asked, feeling puzzled, as Payton skipped off to find her sneakers and change back into them.

Kayla looked at him as if he was crazy. "Because they're cute shoes," she said, as if the answer was so obvious. "And they'll work well with both dresses. It's a win-win all the way."

"But if they're uncomfortable, why would she care how cute they are?" Seth asked, feeling slightly bewildered. He wouldn't dream of wearing uncomfortable shoes, he didn't care if they were the nicest looking pair of footwear on God's green earth.

"You don't understand," Kayla said, shaking her head. "These are really, _really,_ cute shoes."

 

* * *

 

As they headed to a restaurant for lunch, Seth turned on the radio in the car and started trying to find the station where the interview was happening. Kayla looked at him and shook her head, but she was smiling. "What?" Seth said, giving a slightly guilty grin. "I just want to make sure they don't embarrass me."

"All right," Kayla said and looked over her shoulder to Payton. "Do you mind if Uncle Seth listens to your other uncles? Apparently, he doesn't trust them."

"I don't mind," Payton said. "But turn it up, I wanna hear it too."

"See? Our Da-niece has taste," Seth said as he turned up the volume.

Dean hadn't lied about an interview they wouldn't forget, Roman and Dean were in top form. When asked about why Seth couldn't make it, they eluded to him having been ganged up on by Roman and Dean and locked away in a box. When the DJ asked if Seth was okay, Roman said in a calm voice, "If Dean remembered to drill air holes in the trunk." And the interview continued in that vein. They wove in all the right plugs for the WWE, gave a lot of history about Seth that the radio station wanted to know, but kept up with their Kayfabe story. Several times, Seth, Kayla, and Payton would laugh at something one of the two said. Seth had to give it to them, this interview was terrific, he would not have done as well himself, given the circumstances.

At the end though, it got serious and Preston's death was mentioned. Seth tried to turn the radio off, but Payton spoke up. "Uncle Seth? Please, let me hear it."

Even though Roman and Dean had never spent much time with Preston, they spoke of the boy in glowing terms and mentioned that his death would be hard on the locker room, because Preston was much loved by many of the superstars. Payton sniffled a few times as she listened, but that was all.

When Seth had turned the radio off, she spoke up again. "He knew," she said, her voice soft, but it still carried through the car.

"What do you mean?" Kayla asked, twisting in her seat so she could look at Payton.

"He knew he didn't have much longer," Payton explained, her voice still soft and very calm. "At Raw that night, he told me."

"He said he was going to die that night?" Seth asked, using the rear view mirror to glance at her for brief fractions of seconds once in awhile, not wanting to take his eyes off the road.

"Not like that," Payton said. "I don't know if he had those words. But I said something about him coming to SmackDown the next night and he shook his head. Later, he said, 'I won't see you again.'" She turned her gaze from them and instead looked out the window at the passing cars. "He didn't sound sad though."

When she didn't speak, Kayla finally gently asked, "How did he sound?"

"Relieved," Payton said, sounding as if she had been giving this a lot of thought. "Like he'd been doing something really hard for a very long time and he knew it was getting near time to stop."

* * *

 

There were two sets of visiting hours for the wake, 2-4 and 7-9. Most of the WWE members going to the wake would be going to the earlier viewing hours, a few were even going to get on the private jet right after, and make the next house show. Roman and Dean would be among that group, but they would ride with Seth and Kayla and get a ride with someone else to the airport.

Kayla and Seth weren't sure if Payton should go to both viewings, but they decided to take it step by step. They would go to the early one, of course, but leave it up to her if she wished to go to the later one. That was, if her parents were still going to let her stay with them awhile longer. Although both of them said nothing, it was obvious they were afraid that might happen. Seth hoped though, that if her parents did want to take her back right then, that they could be reasoned with to let her stay with them until after the funeral.

Dolph had called Seth's phone and let him know that there was a "private" viewing between 1:45 and 2:00, and Payton was welcome to come. Apparently, Dolph had been instrumental in helping Myron and Andrea cope with all of the arrangements and had talked to the funeral director who had told him that it was a custom to let close relatives, especially children, see the body before other people arrived both to give them time with immediate family, to see if the child could handle this before others arrived.

When they got to the funeral home at 1:45 on the dot, Roman and Dean said they would stay outside until the official visiting hours began. Seth and Kayla looked at each other, wondering if they should go in, or wait outside and let Payton go in herself Yes, as far as Payton was concerned, they were family, but neither were sure Myron and Andrea would want them included. But, Payton clutched on to Seth's hand so tightly, that Seth knew he would go as far as they would allow him to.

The inside of the funeral home tried to look like a subdued living room, but it still carried with it the smell of flowers, the feeling of subdued misery. There was an easel set up by a set of double doors that had piece of poster board with a big picture of Preston, probably from a year or so ago, photo shopped to remove any signs of illness. He looked like a relatively normal, healthy five year old. Around the main picture, were many other smaller ones, all of Preston too. Later, when Seth really had a chance to look at it, he would notice the lack of Payton in these pictures. She wasn't completely absent, but you saw Myron and Andrea a whole lot more, holding Preston, or just nearby. If you saw Payton, she was likely in the background, almost as if she had wandered into the picture by accident.

A man in a very somber looking suit, obviously a worker in the place looked at them oddly, as if he might question why they were there, then he saw Payton. "Are you Payton?" he asked the girl.

She nodded. "This is my Uncle Seth and my Aunt Kayla," she said, her voice clear and calm. "They brought me here."

"Of course," the man said and opened the double doors that lead into the receiving room. "Your parents are inside all ready," he said, his voice so calm and soothing that Seth wondered how long it had taken him to learn that tone.

The coffin was tiny, white, and perhaps the saddest thing Seth had ever seen in his life. It was sleek, shining and a perfect miniature of the ones made for adults and that was the biggest tragedy of all, that the factories that made coffins could make enough money on coffins for children that they mass produced them. _They should be handmade_ , Seth thought. _The need for them should be so rare that you have to hire a local carpenter to make you one. And they should look a bit shoddy, as if the carpenter rushed to make it, because it isn't even worth the carpenter's time to make one up in advance_.

Myron and Andrea were up by the coffin, but when they heard the door open, they turned and smiled at Payton, a tired, worn, smile as if it were nothing but a temporary thing, a tiny break in the storm of tears they had been shedding. Seth hesitated, wondering if he should wait in the back of the room and let her join her parents by the coffin. Surely, under these circumstances, Payton's parents would put aside their issues and embrace their daughter, take comfort in the knowledge that they had one living, healthy, child. But Payton did not let go of Seth's hand, only clutched it tighter and started walking towards the casket, slowly, but with determination. Again, Seth went with her. As long as she clutched his hand, he would not let go. Myron and Andrea kept up with the watery, teary eyed smiles, but they did nothing that would encourage Payton, nothing to indicate that they were looking at their beloved living daughter who had lost a brother, just as they had lost a son. It took everything Seth had to keep his expression neutral. As much as part of him wanted to lay into the Caldwells, he knew he couldn't do it here, not in this room, with this tiny, perfect coffin holding the body of a child so beloved by three people in this room.

When they got up to the front, Seth forced himself to look in the casket. Preston was laid out, wearing what looked to be a new black suit with a white dress shirt. The usual make up procedures had been done in an attempt to make him look like a sleeping child, but there was something off about it.

Payton didn't hesitate, she looked in the coffin, said nothing, but squeezed Seth's hand tighter.

"Doesn't he look peaceful?" Myron asked.

Payton turned and looked at him, and while Seth couldn't see her expression, there must have been something about it, because Myron frowned and repeated, "Doesn't he look peaceful?"

"No," Payton said, and Seth had the feeling this might be the first time she ever disagreed with her father, at least out loud. "He looks dead. But it's okay, he _is_ dead."

"Payton!" Andrea exclaimed, looking horrified.

"That isn't Preston," Payton said, shaking her head. "We watched him sleep a _million_ times! Preston always slept on his side or stomach if he didn't have an IV or something. And if he slept on his back, his mouth was open, and his hands were flopped about and a lot of times he had a snot bubble on his nose. _That_ was Preston. Preston never laid quietly and looked pretty. _This doesn't look like Preston sleeping at all._ "

 _Don't you dare contradict her_ , Seth thought, as Payton's fingers remained curled around his. _If you tell her she's wrong, I will forget that I'm supposed to be nice and burn you a brand new asshole. You have your way of coping and she has hers. You lost your beloved son, but she lost her brother. Who, for all intents and purposes, she should have hated for all the love you lavished on him while neglecting her, but because this little girl has such a big heart, she still managed to love him. So don't you dare try to take this away from her. Let her say what she needs to say_.

"Well," Andrea began, but she stopped, clearly not knowing what to say to this.

Myron moved closer, deciding the best way to deal with Payton's outburst was to pretend it had never been said. "Here," he said, going to grab her around the waist. "Let me lift you up so you can kiss your brother goodbye."

 _"NO!"_ The word roared out of Payton's mouth and she let go of Seth's hand, but only to duck away from her father and hide behind him. "I kissed him goodbye at Raw, when he was alive! I won't kiss him now! _NO!"_ She threw her arms around Seth's waist, hugging him from behind. Hardly aware that he was doing, it, Seth straightened himself to his full height of 6' 1", at least three inches taller than Myron, and clenched his jaw. He felt his right hand curl into a fist as if he would punch Myron Caldwell right in his smug mouth if he didn't back off from his daughter, right that second.

"I don't think that's really necessary," Kayla said, stepping forward with a smile on her face, but an air about her that said she wouldn't argue, either. "Payton doesn't feel she has to kiss Preston good bye and personally? I think we should respect her wishes."

"But, this is the last time-" Andrea began.

"No, it _isn't,"_ Payton said, from behind Seth. "The last time for kissing him was Raw! _This isn't Preston!"_ She hiccuped and a sob escaped from her lips. "Preston is gone, this is just-just-just-" she stammered trying to come up with the word she wanted. Seth had a pretty good idea, but he didn't want to distract her. "-a _shell!"_ she finally said. "Don't want to kiss him. I don't want to remember him as cold and dead. I want to remember him sleeping with his mouth open and a snot bubble and his arms flopped out. _That_ was Preston, not _this."_

"You heard her," Seth said, suddenly not caring about keeping peace. If they wanted him to keep peace they had to meet their daughter half way at least. "She'd rather remember her living brother than her dead one. And I think we should respect it."

By now, the funeral director had come into the room, hearing the commotion. "Is everything all right?" He asked.

"It's fine," Kayla said. "I think seeing her brother like this is a little much for Payton. We're going to take her out of here and let her get herself together." And without even looking at Myron and Andrea, she took Payton's hand and Seth's and lead them out of the viewing room.

 

* * *

 

The funeral home was a large Victorian mansion which had been converted. It still had a huge, wrap around porch with a porch swing. Kayla lead Payton out there, which faced the street, not the parking lot. The porch swing was big enough for all three of them, and they sat down, Payton in the middle. Not a word was spoken, they just rocked on that swing chair, each of them trying to compose themselves. Payton sniffed several times and Seth reached into the pocket of his suit, pulled out a handkerchief he only carried when he wore a suit, and handed it to her. Payton took it and blew her nose.

A few minutes later, Andrea came out on the porch, alone. She walked over to the three of them, timidly, as if she were walking into enemy territory. "I-I'm sorry," she said, looking at Payton. "We-we didn't think it would upset you so."

Seth wanted to rip into her, even out here while they were calming down, wanted to tell her that kissing a dead body was a miserable custom, and if Payton didn't want to participate in it, good for her. But he held himself in check, letting Payton speak.

"Well, it _did,"_ Payton said, a little more than defiant.

"I know," Andrea said. "And we won't ask you again. Y-you're right, Payton. That isn't Preston. Preston's soul has gone to Heaven, that's just his earthly body in there."

Payton stared at her mother for a moment, as if waiting for a "but" to come from her mouth. When none came, she shrugged. "I loved him. But not like this," she mumbled.

Andrea wrung her hands, looking stressed. "I-I came out here to ask something too," she said, her voice soft.

"What?" Payton said, a bit loudly.

"Well, I want to ask, uhm, Kayla and Seth, uhm... if they would mind watching you for a little while longer." She looked at Kayla and then to Seth. "Maybe a few more weeks? I-I know this isn't easy, taking her in like this, but she seems pretty settled with you folks. And, it's not that we don't want her, we do, but-" her voice trailed off.

"But you need a little time to digest this, to get over this," Kayla finished for her. "Some time to come to terms with the loss of your son. That's understandable. And if Payton wants to stay with us, of course we'd love to have her."

Seth looked at Payton, already knowing the answer but feeling some formality needed to be followed. "Do you want to stay with us, Pay?"

Payton nodded.

"Good, then that's settled," Andrea said, no longer wringing her hands.

"Are you going to be all right?" Kayla asked, concern in her eyes. "I mean, yes, I know you're not going to be all right for awhile, and we'll keep Payton as long as you need us to, we love having her stay with us, we love her. But, is there anything we can do? Any way we can help you?"

"You help by taking care of Payton," Andrea said and even though there was still a wave of sorrow radiating from her, she managed a smile that looked almost genuine. "Myron and I? We're going to be fine. We just need a little time to sort this out." She looked at Payton, with an expression that Seth could almost believe was one of caring. "You'll be all right, won't you, Pay?"

She stared at her mother, then nodded. "I love Uncle Seth an' Aunt Kayla," she said, "I like staying with them."

Andrea's smile didn't waiver. "Then it's all settled." And with that, she turned to leave.

Payton got up then. "Mom?"

Andrea turned. Payton ran over and hugged her mother, and from what Seth could tell, it seemed to be genuine. "Thank you," she said, when they drew apart.

"You're welcome," Andrea said. "Just be a good girl, okay?"

"She's the best," Seth said, without even thinking.

 

End of Chapter Seventeen.


	18. Chapter 18

Friday, the day of the funeral, was one of those beautiful spring days, that contained a faint trace of winter and a hint of Summer to come. Seth didn't know if he liked this, or if he would have felt better if it were raining. He supposed that the sun was nice for one thing, that when the graveside ceremony happened, they wouldn't all get soaking wet. But it seemed a little off that such a beautiful day would be one to put a child into the ground forever.

As they were heading out to the car to go to the funeral home, where the funeral would take place, Payton stopped, looked at the brilliant blue sky, sniffed the air and smiled. "Preston loved this kind of weather," she said. "He hated being too cold or too hot. Today is like a Goldilocks day, it's just right."

"Then it's a good day to say good bye, isn't it?" Kayla asked.

Payton nodded and walked over to the car. She looked pleased as if she felt this day had been a gift from Preston.

Seth suddenly felt that maybe the weather wasn't so bad after all. He made sure Payton was bucked in properly before he got into the driver's seat and started the car.

He wasn't always sure how Payton was doing with this or not. Since the breakdown at the wake, she had seemed to be fine one minute, then very emotional the next. Yesterday they both took her to see the grief counselor, but Payton went into the session alone. When she came out, she seemed quiet, but her eyes weren't tear stained. Seth had gotten on the internet last night, when Payton was sleeping, to do some research about how children mourn, but it wasn't as much help as he thought it would be. He was hoping for a chart or something he could use to go, "Okay, that means this," instead he found that a child in mourning was much like an adult in mourning, they handled it in different ways. From the best he could tell, Payton was handling it well, that children often went through times when they acted very okay with this, then there would be times when the tears fell, for reasons other than mourning. He had seen an example of that earlier, when they were about to eat dinner, and he asked her what she wanted to drink.

"Can I have some grape juice?" she asked.

Seth looked in the refrigerator and shook his head. "Sorry, Pay, no grape, I think you finished the last bottle yesterday. We have peach, apple, and cherry." He waited calmly to hear her second choice.

Payton, this normally calm and accepting child, surprised Seth and Kayla, by bursting into tears. "I wanted _grape_ juice!" she wailed.

Seth stood there, door of the refrigerator still opened, not knowing what to do. He had seen Payton cry before, of course, but there had always been a legitimate reason for her tears. He had never seen her cry over something trivial as juice. Kayla wrapped her arm around the girl, in a half hug. "I'm sorry, Payton," she said. "I know you're sad, but we don't have any grape juice."

"I could go get some," Seth offered, figuring if grape juice was this important, it was worth dinner getting cold to get her some, but Kayla shook her head.

"This isn't about grape juice," she said, still hugging Payton.

"It's not?"

"No." She turned her attention back to Payton. "The next time we pick up groceries, we'll buy you more grape juice, but for right now, we just don't have any."

"But I wanted grape juice with my _d-d-dinner!"_ Payton sobbed into Kayla's shoulder. "It's not _fair!"_

"If this _isn't_ about grape juice," Seth found himself asking, "Then why are we _talking_ about grape juice?"

"Because grape juice is just an excuse her mind is giving her to get upset," Kayla explained, while Payton sobbed as if her heart was breaking over a world full of injustice, such as not having grape juice when she craved it. "She wants to cry, but she doesn't want to cry for her brother now, because that's too big for her to handle. So, instead she's going to cry about not having grape juice."

And Seth stood there, helpless, then finally walked over and rubbed Payton's back. She moved away from Kayla and threw her arms around Seth, sobbing into his shirt, occasionally wailing, " _Grape juice!"_

Yet, five minutes later, the tears were gone and Payton was happily digging into her dinner, drinking apple juice instead and talking about general things as if the meltdown had never happened. It was weird and amazing at the same time and while Seth's research told him things like this could happen, it had been entirely different to see it in action. It was like one of those violent thunder burst storms that came out of nowhere, instantly drenching everything it touched, then just as fast, it was gone and the sun was out and the only sign it had ever been there were diamond like drops of water clinging to the grass.

Now, on the day of the funeral, she seemed to be doing well. She was quiet, but she wasn't withdrawn. She looked pretty in her red dress and her "cute shoes" her hair clean and shining and arranged in the simple way she seemed to like best, when the front was braided and drawn around and fastened in the back. As they drove, she looked around as if she was very interested in the scenery. Not once though, since the wake had she mentioned her parents. Seth had the feeling she was pretending they didn't exist, at least not for now. He wasn't sure if this was good for her to be doing or not.

When they were pulling into the funeral home, Payton started getting excited. "They're here, they're here!" she shouted and as Seth pulled into a space, she was unbuckling her seat belt.

"Who's here?" Seth asked, but Payton was free of her seat belt and out of the car before she heard him. "Payton!" he half screamed as he watched her race across the parking lot. "Jesus!" exploded from his mouth as visions of a car not seeing her and running right into her danced in his head, and he frantically scrambled to undo his seat belt, cursing himself for not having remembered to put on the child locks that would prevent the back doors from opening.

When he and Kayla got out of the car, they saw Payton throwing her arms around a woman that looked like an older version of Andrea. "I'll bet that's her grandmother," Kayla said, sounding relatively calm now that she had seen Payton was all right.

"I'll bet you're right," Seth said, not ready to be pacified, "but she shouldn't have run out like that! What if someone coming in the lot hadn't seen her and plowed right into her?" As if to prove his point, a car pulled into the parking lot and drove by them, looking for a space further back in the lot. They weren't going fast, but Payton was such a little girl and it was such a big car.

"We'll talk about it with her later," Kayla suggested. "I don't think now is the time. She's fine."

When they were closer, Payton ran over and grabbed Seth's hand, almost dragging him over to the woman and a gentleman who had the same brown eyes as Andrea. "Grandma, Grandpa, this is Aunt Seth an' Uncle Kayla, who I to- I mean, Uncle Seth, and Aunt Kayla! This is them! I told you about them. And I told them about you!"

She said it so proudly, so happily, that Seth found himself deciding to follow Kayla's advice and wait until later to give Payton the lecture about why she shouldn't speed across parking lots. Instead, he extended his right hand, that Payton had let go of. "Hi, I'm Seth Rollins, and this is my fiancee, Kayla Springer."

"It's nice to meet you," the woman said. "I'm Beth Johnson, and this is my husband, Evan."

Seth knew Evan suffered from the beginning stages of Alzheimer's, but he seemed all right. Seth had to admit to himself he didn't know a lot about it, but he did remember hearing that in the early stages, there were good days, when everything seemed normal and bad days, when the memories of loved ones were lost to the victims, and every other type of day in between. Despite the sorrow Evan must have been feeling at the loss of his grandson, he did seem to understand exactly what was happening. He shook Seth's hand firmly, and gave Kayla a hug and a kiss on the cheek, as though they were both members of the family.

"How can we ever thank you for taking care of Payton," Beth said, looking at the both of them as if she might cry. "We wanted to take her ourselves, so my daughter and her husband could deal with Preston, but-" she looked at her husband then sighed. "We just can't."

 _She knows_ , Seth thought. _She knows her daughter neglects her granddaughter, but she feels powerless. I'm betting she's run interference before, but she can't anymore. I don't think she realizes how bad it is, but I think she knows it happens. She might be closing **one** eye to it, but not both of them._ "It's no bother at all," he said, putting a hand on Payton's shoulder as she leaned into him. "We love having Payton around."

"I'm so glad," she said, and smiled at all of them. "The three of you look good together," she said, then added, "Hopefully, when Payton has to go home, you'll still be able to be part of her life?"

"That's what we're hoping," Kayla said, smiling.

"We'd _better_ be," Seth blurted out at the same time, before he could stop himself. He thought for a moment, that everyone would get upset and he would need to apologize, but Payton tipped her head back and looked up at him, wearing a grin. Beth put her hand on his arm and patted it gently.

"I think you will," she said, her voice warm. "The whole family is Protestant, but in all truth? The way my granddaughter talks about you, and the way I see you are with her, We think of you and your fiance as her godparents. And a god _send_ as well."

 

* * *

 

They ended up sitting in the front row of the church as if they were close family. Seth wasn't sure if Myron or Andrea approved, but Payton was the one who lead them there. She sat with her mother on one side, Seth on the other. It felt weird, almost like some modern day family, where parents divorced and married other people. True, Seth was not Payton's biological father, but obviously, he had place in her life bigger than most people might have thought. Payton did have two families, and Myron and Andrea would have to accept that. _If they don't like it, they can stuff it,_ Seth found himself thinking, almost meanly. _It's their own damned fault for not loving their daughter as much as they did, Preston_.

A lot of WWE superstars were there, Preston had made a lot of friends. While Seth wished Dean and Roman could have been there, they had been allowed to come to the wake, so they couldn't make the funeral.

Dolph and Daniel and John Cena were there, and the three of them would be Pallbearers as well, along with Nikki and Brie, and Naomi. Seth wondered if all six of them would even be able to carry the coffin, or if some of them would have to walk before and behind instead.

Dolph gave a wonderful eulogy that almost made Seth wish he had gotten to know the side of Preston that he saw. The cute little boy with the never give up attitude. For a moment, he wondered what would have happened if he and Preston had gotten along, like everyone had wanted them to at the beginning. Then, he looked over at Payton and realized that had he and Preston become buddies, Payton might still be that dejected, sad looking girl who always tried to stay out of everyone's way. And, unable to stop himself, he felt a shiver as if someone had run an ice cube up his spine.

 

* * *

 

After the graveside service (how many different services did you need to say good bye? Two wakes, one funeral, and a graveside service, it seemed a little excessive for anyone) everyone was invited to go to a local restaurant, which surprised Kayla a little. "The funerals I've gone to, there's usually food served in the church," she commented, when Payton was talking with her grandparents by the grave, for a moment.

"That's because _your_ family are good church going folks," Seth said, unable to resist a small grin. "For people who don't have churches? Restaurants. And remember, the Caldwells don't really have a church anymore." Yes, a few members from their former church were in attendance and the part of himself he nicknamed "Cynical Seth" wondered if they came for the free food. But most of the crowd seemed to be people that knew the Caldwells through Preston. Doctors and nurses who had helped care for him, hospital staff. A few people from their old neighborhood where there too, but it seemed odd that the Caldwells didn't seem to have any friends. It was like from the moment Preston got sick, they had shut themselves off from anyone that wasn't involved directly with Preston.

Seth would discover later, that while the Caldwells had prepaid for Preston's funeral, his coffin, his cemetery plot, it was the WWE who paid for the funeral luncheon. And Dolph himself had bought the suit Preston was buried in.

While at the luncheon, Seth was told by Hunter and Stephanie that they expected him to be on Raw Monday, but that he had until then to stay with Kayla and Payton. Considering that he had been away from house shows just before Wrestlemania, then had taken time off again until Preston could be laid to rest, Seth knew he couldn't complain. He promised he would be at the Raw taping, Monday.

* * *

 

He had another two days with Kayla and Payton, and he concluded that Payton seemed to be doing pretty good. She had her moments of sadness, but for the most part, she seemed to be Payton. They didn't do much on Saturday, just hung around, being together. But Sunday, Kayla insisted they all go bike riding just to get in the fresh air. At first Payton seemed reluctant, but after they borrowed the bike she had used the last time and helmet, and loaded up the car, she seemed to get into the spirit of things and the three of them enjoyed themselves.

Monday, he flew out for Raw and things started back to what Seth was starting to think of as normal. He was on the road, Kayla and Payton were at home. He messaged them every day and most days would Skype with the both of them too. They were planning on joining him for Extreme Rules PPV, and he was looking forward to that.

He had been on the road less than a week when one morning, his cell phone rang with the ring tone he had assigned to Kayla. Still mostly asleep, he fumbled for the phone. Due to a mix up in the hotel reservations, he was sharing a room with Roman and Dean, which made it feel like old home week, especially when Dean, who was sleeping on a cot that had been brought in the room, yelled out, "Answer your damned _phone_ , Seth!" in a croaking voice.

Seth finally managed to get his hands on his phone and put it to his ear as he flicked the button, "Yeah, babe."

"Go talk in the _hall!"_ Dean ordered.

"Stop _yelling,_ Dean!" Roman called out.

"Seth?"

He heard something in Kayla's voice he wasn't used to hearing, panic. He was instantly awake. "What's wrong?" He sat up, trying to hold the phone with one hand and find his pants with the other to try to put them on so he could go out in the hall.

Dean was sitting up now and staring at him, obviously concerned after hearing Seth ask what was wrong. Roman followed suit as if the two men were meerkats, rising to look around.

"Seth... we have a situation," Kayla said, and he could hear the strain in her voice.

"Are you and Payton all right?" he asked, feeling panic rising in his throat. Kayla was a rock. For Kayla to be like this, something had to have happened and he didn't know what.

"We're all right," Kayla assured him, even though that strain in her voice hadn't diminished, "I mean, we're as fine as we can be."

"Then what's wrong?" Seth asked yet again. Roman and Dean were looking at him, eyes fully open. Realizing that they were not going to go back to sleep until they knew what was going on, he stopped looking for his clothes and sat down on the bed.

"Seth, I-I got a call from the police a bit ago," she said. "There's been an accident... or something, they're still looking into it."

"Looking into what?" Seth asked, his voice sharp. He didn't mean to sound so rough, but this dance around the issue was driving him crazy and it was completely unlike his fiancee. "What's going on, Kayla?"

"Myron and Andrea," Kayla said, and she allowed herself a small sob. "They're gone, Seth. They're dead."

End of Chapter Eighteen.


	19. Chapter 19

Myron and Andrea's death was the start of the strangest time in Seth's life so far, and might even end up being the strangest time in his life ever. He found himself wondered if decades from now, when he sat on the porch of the old folks home, if he would go back and say, "Yep, that was it, nothing was stranger than those times."

Seth had dealt with death before, he had relatives who had passed away from a variety of causes, so that wasn't what made it strange. To be honest, he wasn't fond of the Caldwells. Well, to be completely honest, he actively and strongly disliked the Caldwells.

But he loved their daughter, and he had a feeling that was why the last few months had been so odd.

 

* * *

 

He couldn't remember the exact conversation he had with Kayla about the Caldwell's death, but he did get from it that they were found in their apartment, Andrea on the couch, Myron in a recliner, deader than dead. Cause of death? Natural gas poisoning, at least that was the obvious culprit. At that point, no autopsy had been done, so nothing could be said for certain, but the gas had been on in the apartment and they were dead the likely cause was indeed, natural gas poisoning.

He strongly suspected it was not an accident at all, but he didn't say anything to Kayla. His first concern was to get out there as fast as possible for Kayla and Payton's sake. He thought he might be in serious trouble over this, he'd needed way too much time off lately, but he went to Stephanie, who was sympathetic.

"What's going to happen to Payton, now?" she asked.

He stared at her for a moment, wondering why she was asking such a stupid question, until he realized that maybe the answer wasn't so obvious to everyone else. "We get our lawyer to file papers," he said, and then realized that wasn't even enough. "We adopt her. Her grandparents are her only living blood relatives and they are in no condition to take in their granddaughter. Kayla and I love her, and she loves us. She's already our daughter, more than she was the Caldwell's, we just now have to make it legal."

Stephanie nodded. "Since the night where her parents abandoned her and Kayla went to get her, I've made it a point to watch the three of you. She's a completely different little girl when she's with the both of you. The death of the Caldwell's is horrible and tragic, but if you need any help from us, be it a character reference, witnesses to how good a job you and Kayla are doing as parents? You've got it. I know Roman and Dean will be willing to do what they can to help too. Just know that if they're needed to be in court? We will make sure they get there."

Seth felt a strange prickling behind his eyes and he blinked several times trying to get rid of it. Finally, he nodded. "Thank you," he said, sincerely, "You have no idea how much this means to me."

"You forget," Stephanie said, smiling. "I'm a mother. I think I do." She looked distant for a moment, then spoke again. "I remember so clearly when each of my daughter's were born. How I looked at them, and I felt this... bond. How I told myself that I would do everything in my power to make sure this little one had the best life possible. That I would move heaven and earth to keep them safe and protected. Later, talking to Hunter, I found out he felt the same way too, the first time he laid eyes on them." She smiled at Seth. "Some say that parental bond only happens when it's your blood. Others say it can only happen when the child is very young, but I don't believe that. The night when the Caldwells rushed Preston to the hospital and forgot Payton, you came charging in here, Hell bent for leather, pretty much demanding we let you go to Davenport, right that minute. I knew something was up, and when you started talking about Payton, I saw it. Maybe she wasn't legally yours, but I knew that was just a formality. That just like Hunter and I would do for our daughters, you would move Heaven and earth to protect Payton." She reached out and patted him on the arm. "We'll do whatever we can to make sure you get to Davenport as much as possible, until this is resolved and Payton has her rightful place in your family."

"Thank you," Seth said, his voice a husky whisper.

 

* * *

 

He flew home on the private jet, letting Kayla know when he'd be arriving, but telling her not to worry, that he would get a cab to the house. Of course when he got into the smaller, private airport, she was there, with Payton.

He stopped for a moment, looking at Payton. She had put on a little weight since she moved in with them, but she was still a thin child. Her brown hair was styled, she was wearing nice clothes. She looked like a normal little girl, until you saw her face. Then you saw she looked drawn and haunted, like life kept throwing things at her, and she couldn't process it, she couldn't catch her breath. As he looked at her, he even saw her chest heave in a hitching motion, as if she was trying to take in extra air. As he got closer, he called out, "Hey, you two!"

Payton turned to look at him, and for a moment, he saw some of that haunted, drawn look leave her face. She ran over and Seth barely had time to put down his luggage before she was throwing herself into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight to him. "Hey, Pay," he said softly. "How are you doing?"

"I missed you," she said. "I missed you so much."

"I missed you too, Pay," he said, kissing her hair. "More than I can say."

 

* * *

 

Once they were home, Payton didn't seem to want to leave his side. She didn't talk about her parents, she didn't talk much at all, but she stayed close to him, as if she was afraid he'd vanish if he left her field of vision, which was difficult, because he wanted to talk to Kayla about what happened and possibly call the police to find out more details. So, he was actually relieved when that afternoon, they went to her grief counselor. Even though Payton was reluctant to go off with the doctor, both Kayla and Seth assured her they would be right outside if she needed them.

The moment the door closed, Seth turned to Kayla. "Okay, what exactly happened?"

Kayla shrugged, biting her lip. "There isn't much to tell. I have the number of the policemen who reported to the scene. Someone smelled gas in the hall and traced it to the Caldwell's apartment. They knocked and when no one answered, they called the building superintendent, who came up and went into the place. Apparently, sometimes this has happened before. The stoves are located across from the refrigerator and if you're just the right height, if you lean over to poke around in the refrigerator, it's possible to nudge the switch that turns on the gas, without hitting the ignition.

"Is it me or does that sound like the stupidest kitchen and stove design ever?" Seth asked, shaking his head in disbelief.

"You get no argument from me. Until now though, no one ever died, but there were a few close calls." Kayla shook her head as well. "They were slowly fixing the problem, replacing the stoves with newer, better, safer, ones, but because no one had died and because these are cheap, low income apartments, no one put it high on the priority list. Anyway, so the Super opened the door and found Andrea and Myron in the living room and the TV was on. Andrea was lying on the sofa, Preston's Teddy bear in her arms. Myron was on the recliner, wrapped in an afghan that a nurse in St. Judes had made for Preston. They called the police who came and checked things out and called the coroner’s office. They're doing an autopsy today, I believe. But they've pretty much ruled out foul play. Neither Myron or Andrea looked as if they were involved in any type of struggle, and there were no signs that someone broke in." She paused, and sighed, before saying, "Soooooo," which she drew out, then let linger in the air.

"So the question is, was it an accident," Seth said, deciding to get right to the point.

Kayla nodded. "They searched the place and found no note, nothing to indicate that one or both of them did this deliberately. They did confiscate the laptop to see if they can find anything on that. But, I don't think they'll find anything."

"Do you think it was an accident?" Seth asked.

Kayla shook her head. "No, I don't. I think one, the other, or both decided life without Preston wasn't worth living."

A vision came to Seth then, so clear and bright, it might have been a memory of something he'd witnessed, even though it wasn't. He saw the cheap apartment in his head, it wasn't hard, he had seen more than a few cheap, stamped, low income apartments in his life. He saw Myron lying on the recliner, staring at the TV, but not really watching it, looking pale and forlorn, as if he had been doing so much crying, wallowing in so much misery, that he was unable to do anything but stare into space, like he was so drained, that he had gone past being able to feel emotions anymore.

He saw Andrea too, lying on the couch, flipping through the channels until she found something that she wasn't going to watch either, but something she could at least stand being in the background. Probably something like American Pickers on History channel, maybe Pawn Stars. He saw her staring at the screen, occasionally looking over at her husband. She was drained too, but not quite as drained as Myron, there was still a small spark in her.

He saw her looking at Myron, and sighing, knowing that Myron wasn't going to just get over this, Myron wasn't going to be "just fine." Losing the first Preston as a child had been bad enough, losing the second was the final nail. Then Seth saw her getting up from the sofa and going into the kitchen, going into the refrigerator, looking inside of it. Her butt bumped into the stove and out of habit, she turned, to make sure she hadn't turned on the stove. A neighbor had probably warned them of the problem, and with Preston being so ill, of course she and Myron got in the habit of checking every time they went in the refrigerator.

Seth saw her assure herself the stove wasn't on and then, he could see her face crumple, as she realized again, that Preston was gone. He could almost see her thinking, _Why did I check? Why didn't I actually turn it on by accident and not check? That would have been so much better. We just would have fallen asleep and when we woke up, we'd be with Preston again_.

He saw her going over to the sink and getting a glass of water, drinking it, but her gaze would keep going to that stove. Realizing that if she had turned on the stove, and not checked, it might have meant the pain would end. Preston was gone. She and Myron were not getting over it. Sure, they still had Payton, everyone reminded them that they still had their daughter, but Andrea knew they had made mistakes with Payton. Payton didn't love and trust them like she did Seth and Kayla, these strangers who had somehow become charmed by their daughter. They were better parents to her than she and Myron had ever been. She would be better off without us. Seth could hear her thoughts as if she were speaking them out loud. She's better off with them, than she is with us.

He saw her put the glass in the sink and turn to return to the living room, and then suddenly, quickly, she went over to the stove and turned on the gas without getting the ignition, then just as quickly walk out into the living room and lay back down on the sofa.

He saw Myron, looking at her, his eyes bloodshot and empty, so empty. "When does it end?" he whispered, his voice horse from the crying he had been doing for days. "The pain, the emptiness, Andrea, when will it end?"

"Soon," Andrea said, and she was smiling, a weak, watery smile, but it was a smile. "Very soon. Go to sleep. When you wake up, you'll feel better."

He saw Myron stare at her for a moment, seriously doubting those words, but figuring he would sleep, because sleep at least was a temporary escape from this hell, this world of misery that no longer included his son.

And as the smell of gas filled the apartment, Andrea's watery smile got a little deeper. She grabbed Payton's stuffed Teddy bear and held it in her arms. Then she laid down on the sofa, and fell asleep.

"Seth?"

He turned to look at Kayla, for a moment disorientated as he realized he had fallen into his vision so deeply, that he had forgotten where he was. Seth wasn't the type of man to believe in visions, but there was something about this one that rang so true, he could almost believe that somehow, some way, he was actually seeing what had happened. "I think it was Andrea," he said, his voice slow and careful. "I think she decided this was the only way to make things better for both of them."

Kayla bit her lower lip, and he saw tears in her eyes. "If that's true? Then she's a _horrible_ person. How do you abandon your living daughter that way?"

Seth shook his head, still feeling languid as if he were still in the vision. "Maybe," he said, picking his words carefully, "that _was_ part of the reason why she did it."

"Huh?" Kayla looked at him, brows furrowed in puzzlement.

"Maybe she realized that she and Myron were awful parents to Payton and that nothing would change that," Seth said, warming to the idea. "Maybe she realized that Payton was better off with us, than with them."

Kayla stared at him for a few minutes, as if puzzling this out, then nodded, her expression taking on it's own far away look as if she was seeing a vision too, if not exactly the same as Seth's, it was very close. "Maybe you're right," she said, slowly. "But it was still a rotten thing to do."

"Do you think the police will rule it a suicide?" he asked.

She shook her head. "I don't think so. I mean, there's no life insurance at all, so there's no insurance company that will want to see it ruled a suicide so they won't have to pay out. There's no note that proves it's a suicide. I think they'll end up putting gas poisoning or whatever term they use for gas poisoning, on the death certificate, and they'll leave it at that."

"Good," Seth said, nodding, and looking at Kayla. "We can never tell Payton, okay? I mean, we don't know for sure that it was suicide, so we never let her think it was anything but an accident. I won't let our daughter grow up thinking her birth parents killed themselves rather than raise her."

Kayla nodded, but frowned. "She's not stupid, Seth. She might come to the same conclusion we have."

"Maybe," Seth said. "But I don't think so. I think, for now at least, that she'll want to believe it was an accident."

* * *

 

When the door to the therapist's office opened fifty minutes later, Payton came rushing out and threw herself into Seth's arms, hugging him tightly as if she hadn't seen him for weeks. He caught her and held her close. "Are you okay, Pay?" he asked.

"Yes," she said, her voice small, her face still buried in his shirt.

The grief counselor was a tall woman in her '40s, with brown hair and a pleasant smile. She came over, holding out her hand. "Seth Rollins," she said, "Dr. Rachel Graves, it's a pleasure to meet you."

Shifting Payton so he could keep one arm around her, he stuck out his hand. "Nice to meet you too," he said, but his mind was racing Graves? A Grief therapist named Graves? Had her last name influenced her choice of professions or is this just a weird coincidence? His gaze shot down to her left hand, where he saw she was wearing a wedding band and engagement ring. Is Graves her married name? And if she was a grief therapist before they met and married, that must have made them laugh at least once, in that morbid sort-of way.

"Do you have a moment?" Dr. Grave's asked, "I'd like to talk to you in private."

"Sure," Seth said.

" _No!"_ Payton turned her head to look at the doctor, her voice carrying loudly through the waiting room, which thankfully was empty, except for the receptionist, who did look up, but then quickly went back to working at her computer as if this wasn't the first time she had seen a child explode in this waiting room and would not be the last. "You _promised_ I could see him after the session, you _promised!"_ Her voice got louder with each word until she was screaming. _"I want to be with Uncle Seth!"_

Seth froze, not sure what he should do.

Dr. Graves looked at Payton, not angrily, but with an expression that said she wasn't going to take outbursts like this lying down. "Yes, I _did_ say that," she confirmed. "And I wasn't lying. You see him right now, right?"

"So?" Payton said, sounding so belligerent that Seth had trouble believing this was the same kid he'd gotten to know and love. Payton might get upset, Payton might even stand up for herself as she had during Preston's wake, but this Payton sounded rude and disrespectful.

"Payton!" he said, a little sharper than he intended.

Dr. Graves ignored Seth and kept talking to Payton. "So, I didn't lie. You've seen him. And you will see him again. I just need about ten minutes to talk to him. You can stay out here with your Aunt Kayla."

"I don't _want_ to be with Aunt Kayla!" Payton said, stubbornly, stamping her foot on the ground."I _want_ to be with Uncle Seth!"

Seth was baffled. He looked over at Kayla, afraid she'd look hurt that Payton would rather be with him than with her, but Kayla was looking at Dr. Graves, trusting her to know what she was doing.

"Payton," Dr. Graves said, her voice still smooth and pleasant, as if they were discussing what flavor of milkshake she might want to order later at the ice cream parlor. "I need ten minutes with your Uncle Seth. That's not too much to ask for."

"Yes it _is!"_ Payton stubbornly insisted. "Because then you'll want _fifteen_ minutes, then _twenty_ , then an _hour_ , then _two_ and then he'll have to fly back for work and _I won't get any time with him at all!"_ She stomped her foot again, as if the floor should pay for the injustices of the world.

"Payton, ten minutes, I promise." Dr. Graves looked over at the receptionist who reached into a desk drawer, brought out a bright red kitchen timer and came over, handing it to the doctor. She took it and looked at Payton. "See what this is?"

Payton eyed it suspiciously, but nodded.

"It's a timer," Dr. Graves said. "And as soon as you let go of your Uncle Seth, I will set it for ten minutes. If he is not out of my office in ten minutes, you can open the door and come inside."

Payton looked at the time. "Does it _work?"_ she asked, sounding surly.

Seth was still in a state of disbelief at Payton's actions. Yet, everyone in the room but him, didn't seem phased at all by this. He still had his arm around her, but he didn't hold her so tightly.

"Yes, it works," the doctor said. "And you can watch that clock over there too," she pointed to a clock above a couch lining the opposite wall. "Ten minutes, Payton, that's all I need."

Payton reluctantly disentangled herself from Seth, The moment she did, Dr. Graves set the timer and handed it to her. "Ten minutes," she repeated.

Payton snatched the timer and flopped on the couch next to Kayla, looking absolutely furious.

* * *

 

Dr. Graves office wasn't what Seth was expecting. He thought it would have a big desk, a couch, maybe some chairs and likely bookshelves. There was no desk, no bookshelves, no couch. Instead every wall was painted white, but to make up for that, there were huge plastic stickers on the walls. Super heroes flew out of the walls, rainbows made sweeping arcs, flowers sprang up from around the baseboards. The floor was tiled, but there were several scattered rugs in different, bright colors. There were small tables all over the room and toys were everywhere. A doll house, a box of different dolls, representing all types of people. A quick look inside showed Seth their were male dolls, female dolls, children dolls and baby dolls, all of them looking like the dollhouse was the perfect size for them. There were a bunch of hand puppets of all different types. There was a table that had been built to hold a huge sand box, and inside were toy trucks, toy car, toy buses, tiny buildings and tiny people, so you could make yourself a tiny city in the sand if you wished. Another table held a stack of paper and a big round container filled with crayons.

The room spoke to the inner child in Seth and he found himself running his fingers through the sand as he walked by.

"That's for sand therapy," Dr. Graves said, noticing what he was doing.

"Sand therapy?" Seth asked.

"Some children have trouble expressing themselves," Dr. Graves explained. "They can't articulate what is bothering them, and sometimes the truth comes out in play. Also, how a child plays can tell a doctor a lot about their mental state." She took a seat at one of the two adult sized chairs in the room and motioned to the other one. They were adult sized and looked comfortable, but they were molded plastic. Hers was a vivid purple, his was a bright pink. "I'm not just a grief counselor, although that is one of my specialties. I'm a child psychologist as well, specializing in play therapy."

"Does Payton ever play with the sand?" he found himself asking as he settled into his pink chair.

"Sometimes," Dr. Graves said, a small smile on her face. "But that's not important. We don't have much time, so I want to get to the point. I know what Kayla wants to happen now. What do you think should happen to Payton now that her parents are gone?"

Seth looked at her. "We adopt her," he said. "I mean, I know we have to get through the funeral and all, but if I know Kayla, she's already called our lawyer and has him getting that ball rolling."

Dr. Graves nodded. "I don't want to discourage you, but you do know that you have a rough road ahead of you, right?"

"Yeah," Seth shrugged. "I guess."

"Payton was fairly well prepared for Preston's death," Dr. Graves said. "But not her parents. This is a horrible shock to her."

"Well yeah, that makes sense," Seth said. "I mean, I don't know what Kayla or Payton has told you, but when it came to her, the Caldwells sucked as parents." He held up his hands as if trying to stop her from speaking before he had finished. "Yeah, I know, it's wrong to speak ill of the dead, but I'm not going to lie. Maybe they didn't hit Payton, but you know, maybe it would have been better if they _had_ hit her. At least she would have known they knew she was alive. They neglected her, Dr. Graves. It was like she barely existed, all that mattered was Preston. Her shoes were too small, her hair was unkempt, she was way too skinny. If that isn't abuse, I don't know what is. Maybe if they'd hit her, someone would have noticed and gotten her out of that family sooner, She'd be better off. But still, yeah, it's got to be a shock to her. She just lost her brother, now her parents? I'm sure there was even part of her that thought the Caldwells would start treating her better with her brother dead. I don't believe that would have happened, but I can see where Payton might have hoped so. So, while it's all a big shame that they're dead, I can't help but think that once all is said and done and Payton is our daughter? It'll be _better_ for her in the long run."

He half expected Dr. Graves to purse her lips or in some way show displeasure for his trashing of the Caldwells, but she just nodded, her face expressionless. "She's very attached to you, Mr. Rollins."

"Call me, Seth." Again he shrugged. "We bonded, what can I say? I think, besides her grandparents, who can't care for her full time because they have health issues of their own, I'm the first adult that paid attention to her. I think most of her life she's only had her parents, who literally forgot her once while rushing Preston to the hospital, and various doctors and nurses who were there for Preston. I reached out to her. At first because I felt sorry for her, but then because she's a really neat kid. I mean, I don't know how she acts with you and I know she wasn't at her finest in the waiting room just now, but those are the exceptions. She's an awesome kid."

"How did you feel about her when she was acting up out there?" Dr. Graves asked.

"I wasn't delighted," Seth admitted. "I was baffled because I'm not used to it. But mostly I just felt awful that she's so upset right now that the only way she can communicate how upset she is is to lash out. I saw her do it when her brother died over us being out of grape juice. I know Kayla has had to deal with some melt downs over other things, she's told me about them when we've talked. Today, Payton decided that I would be her breaking point. It is what it is. It doesn't mean I don't love her anymore."

"True," Dr. Graves said, nodding before continuing, "But, I do think Payton also might be testing the two of you."

"Huh?" Seth was puzzled.

"She may not even be aware she's doing it, but I suspect deep down she's trying to see how far can she push you and will you still love her. You're right, her parents _did_ neglect her, and Payton responded by trying to be the best child she could." Dr. Graves studied him as she spoke and Seth had the feeling he was being measured for his worth. "Neglect does strange things to a child. Some kids, most kids, lash out. They go out of their way to become poorly behaved so their parents must pay attention to them. Like that old expression, even negative attention is better-"

"-than no attention at all," Seth said, falling into unison with the doctor.

Dr. Graves did smile then, a rather genuine smile that made Seth think that whoever she wore that wedding band for, might actually be a rather lucky person. "But some children," she continued, "react by trying to become perfect. They think that if they can never cause trouble, never disobey, they will earn their parents love and respect and their parents _will_ love them. That's what Payton did. And it didn't work for her parents, but it did with you and Kayla. You and Kayla love her and if she's correct, you tell her so all the time."

"Ever day," Seth admitted. "At least once. If I'm on the road, we Skype if we can, if we can't, we text. My friends, Roman and Dean, they got me in the habit texting every night before I go to bed, so I never forget. She's usually asleep by then, so I text her 'Good morning, Pay, I love you!' so she sees that every day."

"Right," Dr. Graves nodded. "So, she knows you both love her. And I think deep down, now she's testing to see if you will still love her, even when you discover she's not perfect."

"Are you trying to tell me that she's going to become a little hellion?" Seth asked, brows furrowed. "That she'll become one of those out of control kids who is always into trouble? We'll get calls from her friend's parents to come pick her up because she tried to flush the cat down the toilet?"

Dr. Graves laughed. "I don't think it will be that bad, although teenage rebellion isn't out of the question. But, I doubt she'll flush a friend's cat down the toilet. I'm just warning you that the near perfect little girl you've grown to love with, might turn out to be a relatively normal girl instead. Would that upset you?"

"No," Seth said, without hesitation. "I mean, when we become her parents legally, and even now, we're not going to let her run wild and do whatever she wants, that's not fair to her. We owe it to her as her parents to help guide her down the path to being the best Payton Rollins she can become. But we don't expect her to be perfect, we expect her to be Payton. Dr. Graves, we love Payton, warts and all."

Dr. Graves was an expert nodder, and she gave him another one of her professional tips of the head, but she still was smiling. "I'm glad to hear that. You know, when it comes time to adopt her, the court might want to have a child psychologist evaluate her."

"Can't you do that?" Seth asked. "I mean, you've been seeing her all ready."

She shook her head this time. "I can't, because you and Kayla have been paying me. The court will want someone who is unbiased. But that psychologist might want to see my evaluations for themselves. They may even ask me flat out if I think you and Kayla would be what's best for Payton."

Seth found himself stiffening without meaning to. "What will you say?" he asked, his arms crossing over his chest. "If you can answer that."

"I'm going to say you'll make wonderful parents," Dr. Graves said. "But for awhile, things will be rough as she comes to terms with the loss of her parents. I know you're the heavyweight wrestling champion-"

"WWE World Heavyweight Champion," Seth corrected automatically. "Yes, are you a wrestling fan?"

"No," Dr. Graves admitted, not looking the least bit ashamed. "I have nothing against it, it's just not my thing. But Payton talks about you winning the championship a lot. She's very proud of you. But, if it's possible, I'd like to see you spending time with her now, while she's going through this. Skype and all is great and there will come a time when you'll make it work that way. But right now, I think she needs the man who she looks at as a father in her life. I know being the company champion makes you obligated to certain things, but..." her voice trailed off as if she were collecting her thoughts.

_Yeah? She should meet Brock Lesnar,_ Seth thought. Unfortunately, she was right though, Seth wasn't Brock Lesnar, Seth couldn't shove the belt in a dresser drawer for six months and let Mercury or Nobel come out every few weeks and proclaim him the champion. That wasn't the role for guys like Seth. "Don't worry about that," he said, interrupting her before she could continue. "I will have to work some of the time. They'll expect me to do Raw and SmackDown and the Pay events. But I will be spending a lot of time with Payton."

"Will it be allowed?" Dr. Graves asked. "I'm not a wrestling fan, but I have done some research, because of Payton. It seems to be a most demanding profession."

"It is," Seth said. "More so if you're the champion. But don't worry, I've got that under control." His mind was already working.

"I'm glad to hear that," Dr. Graves said, "Because-"

She never got a chance to finish what she was saying, because the door burst open and Payton came into the room. Seth half expected her to storm over to him and latch on to him as if he was an anchor, but while she did go over to him, she didn't grab him, just stood close. "It's been ten minutes," she informed the doctor.

"And so it has," Dr. Graves agreed with a smile. "And I thank you for letting me talk to him."

Payton shrugged, taking Seth's hand in hers. "That's okay, but the ten minutes are up," she reminded the doctor, "So, he can leave, _right?"_ She started tugging on his hand, trying to get him on his feet and lead him to the door.

"Payton!" Seth said, pulling his hand away from her. "I know we said ten minutes and the ten minutes are up, but you can't be this impatient. Give me one moment to say good bye."

Payton stared at him, wide eyed and shocked as he turned to the doctor and held out his hand. "Thank you, Dr. Graves. For everything."

"Thank you, Seth," Dr. Graves said, smiling in such a way that the corners of her eyes crinkled pleasantly. "And Payton, I'll see you tomorrow, right?"

"I guess," Payton said, looking sullen.

"Payton," Seth said, dragging her name out a little longer than necessary.

Payton stared at him, then looked at Dr. Graves. "Yes, Dr. Graves, I'll see you tomorrow." Her voice was polite, if a little strained.

Seth put his arm around the girl. "Thank you, Payton. I know that wasn't easy for you to do. But let's go and get some lunch, shall we?"

"Can we go to that salad place?" Payton asked. "The one where they put everything you want on a salad? Please?"

"If your Aunt Kayla says so," Seth said.

As Seth and Payton walked out of the office, neither of them looked back. But if they had, they would have seen Dr. Graves smiling at the both of them, and nodding in approval.


	20. Chapter 20

The bodies of Myron and Andrea weren't released to the funeral home until Friday, the official reason for death would be listed as "asphyxiation due to carbon monoxide poisoning. Seth had managed to talk to someone in the Coroners office and the police department, no easy feat as Payton was sticking to his side like glue when she was awake, but he finally was able to shake her off by telling her he had to go to Crossfit and Kayla backing him up, explaining to her that this was the same as work, it was something that he couldn't slack on. Instead of going, he had driven away and sat in his car, making calls on his cell phone.

He was told by both police department and Coroner's office that since the stoves in the apartment building had been known to cause problems, and since no note was found indicating that the Caldwells had wanted to take their own lives, the deaths would be ruled as an accident. Seth was grateful. He knew a few officers in the Davenport police department, some he had even gone to High school with. He knew they were men with families, some of them with children Payton's age and he had the feeling that while they had not been at all dishonest, since Myron and Andrea's deaths were not a cause of danger to anyone, they didn't feel it was their job to speculate and possibly say or write anything that might later come to haunt Payton. As far as the media and anyone else who inquired of them, the deaths were an accident. An accident which would force the owners of the building to begin replacing the faulty stoves much more aggressively than they had been, which Seth found interesting. It seemed that Myron and Andrea's death had the potential to make the world, or at least one building of low income housing, a better place. It was fitting.

Seth had do to the Extreme Rules PPV, but it was to be held in Chicago that year, which meant it was a two hour drive from his house in Davenport. He and Kayla discussed it and decided that they would do what they originally planned and have Kayla and Payton come along with him. They had been in touch with Payton's grandparents, had even had them over for dinner Thursday night. It was agreed that the funeral would be held on Saturday of the next week. There would only be a small, private viewing an hour before, but no official wake. While it wasn't spoken out loud, the general atmosphere was that this funeral would not be as crowded as Preston's was. Yes, the Caldwells had friends, but most of them had been because of Preston, especially towards the end.

The Caldwells had paid for Preston's funeral, but not their own. They had also bought two grave sites next to Preston's. At first Seth was pissed that they had excluded their daughter from this final resting place of the family, but Kayla reminded him that when the plots were bought, they probably figured (as they should) that Payton would grow up, get married, and likely wish to be buried near her spouse. To buy her a grave site would have been an unnecessary expense.

Seth and Kayla also knew that while Andrea's parents had a retirement plan, that allowed them a semi comfortable living, they did not have money for funeral expenses. Kayla went to the funeral home with them and helped them pick out coffins and make all the arrangements, and then slipped the funeral directer her American Express card. She reported later to Seth that Evan and Beth both seemed dazed by the whole process. Evan wasn't having one of his better days, and Beth was grief struck. Kayla wasn't even sure if they realized she had paid, they might be expecting a bill to be sent later. They agreed they would say nothing about this unless Evan and Beth brought it up. They also agreed that if Evan and Beth did bring it up, they would not let Payton's grandparents reimburse them. It wasn't that Seth really cared much about what happened to the Caldwells bodies, but he did like Beth and Evan and of course he loved Payton, so for them, they would make sure the Caldwells had a proper send off to the great beyond.

* * *

 

Payton still did not want to let Seth out of her sight, so as they drove to Chicago, Seth explained to her that while he would try to spend as much time as he could with her and Kayla, he also had to work. He promised that whenever possible, even when he was working the autograph tables or having a Q&A session with the fans, she could at least be in the same room. She seemed to accept this, if not happily at least not with tears. She still wasn't talking about her parents, alive or dead. If the subject came up, she changed it. If people began speaking about them around her, as they had done after dinner with her grandparents, she tuned out and you would have to call her name almost sharply before she would shake her head and rejoin the conversation.

To Seth's relief, about half way into the drive, she fell asleep. When he and Kayla were certain she was sound asleep, Seth sighed. "I can't quit my job for her, Kayla. I'll do what I can to be here whenever I can, but-"

"No one is asking you to leave wrestling," Kayla said, calmly. "I know she's fixed on you right now, but she can't dictate your life."

"But..." he drummed his fingers on the steering wheel as he drove. "I just feel so bad. I mean, it's like the one thing she wants that I can't give her."

Kayla shook her head. "Don't be silly. You've been spending as much time as you can with her. I understand that she's trying to cope with everything, but even if you worked a regular job, she can't expect that she can live in your pocket 24/7. By all means, talk to your bosses and get extra time off, you'll need it, not just for Payton, but because we'll be petitioning to adopt her soon enough and courts don't take too kindly to people trying to arrange court dates to suit their schedule." She took her bottle of water out of the center console cup holder and opened it, taking a sip. "But, she's going to have to adjust to life without her parents."

Seth took his eyes off the road for only a fraction of a second to look at her. "Wow," he murmured.

"You know what I mean!" Kayla said, her voice a little stern, but not angry. "I have nothing but sympathy, and I'll do anything in my power to help Payton cope with this, but facts are facts. You could leave the WWE, come home, I could work full time and you could spend every waking second with Payton, but that won't bring her parents back, nor will it teach her how to live in a world without them. That's something she's going to have to learn. Giving in to her on her fixation with being in your back pocket won't fix that."

"I know." He sighed, knowing she was right. "So, what do we do to get her used to them being gone?"

"Let her talk about it when she's ready," Kayla said carefully. "And if she doesn't bring it up after a bit, we'll bring it up. Right now, I'll play the game of Myron and Andrea being something we just don't mention, but one day, if she doesn't, I will bring it up. In the meantime, I'm also going to find a church and start taking her there. She told both myself and her therapist that she hasn't prayed since before Preston died."

Seth knew Kayla had grown up in a very church going household, although she didn't seem to be too stuck on religion herself. "Why?" he asked.

"Because she hates God right now," Kayla said.

"Maybe she's realizing she's an atheist," Seth suggested.

"No," Kayla said. "She believes in God still, she's just furious at him and I don't blame her. Her only real experience with religion was-" she frowned and looked at Seth, "What do you and Dean call those types of churches, again?"

"The Church of Greedy Jesus," Seth supplied.

"Yeah, her only experience is The Church of Greedy Jesus. And it awful that such places exist, but they do. However, I don't think it's fair for her to formulate all her opinions about God and Christianity based on one horrible church." Kayla took another sip of her water. "It's like formulating your opinion based on things that are said by the Tea Party. If you only had that to go on, you'd think all Christians were hate filled people who don't want to make wedding cakes for gay women, or want to be able to discriminate or hurt anyone who isn't like them." She looked away from him, away from the dashboard even, and instead turned to look her head out the window for a moment.

Seth said nothing, knowing she wasn't done yet, she was collecting herself and her thoughts. He was right, a few seconds later, she turned back. "I know you don't have the background I do, and I know I don't follow my religion like I did when I was growing up, but I remember Church as being a safe haven. We spent huge amounts of time there, my family and I. I was such an awkward kid, all arms and legs and buck teeth."

"I know that's true," Seth interjected. "I've seen pictures, but I look at you now, and that's so hard to believe. You're so perfect looking, so beautiful."

She smiled, but chose not to use this moment to gather compliments. "I got picked on in school a lot. But never at Church. If any of the kids ever tried to pick on me, someone talked to them. Not meanly, not harshly, but with love. They explain that Jesus loved everyone, and that meant me, too. And if Jesus could love me, they at least owed it to Jesus, me and themselves not to pick on me. Now, does this mean they didn't call me names or say things about me behind my back? Probably not. But they knew not to say them to my face. So, I knew there was one place I could go where I didn't have to worry about being called 'Freaky Kayla' or 'Funny-Bunny-Buck-Tooth' or far worse." She looked over at Seth, "I grew up believing God was a father figure. That if I was scared and alone, I could talk to God and he would always listen. The church I grew up in, every youth group meeting, Sunday school session, almost every event, we started out singing the same song every single time."

"What song was that?" Seth asked, "Kumbaya?"

She looked over at him, smiling, but through narrowed eyes. Kumbaya was the joke song he referenced whenever anyone talked about God in that touchy, feely, sing around the campfire way. "No, not Kumbaya, although that's a beautiful song in its own right. You know Kumbaya is 'Come by here' so the song is asking God to come by. Someone's crying lord, come by here. Someone's singing Lord, come by here. And the first verse, just 'Come by here, my lord, Come by here.' Yes, everyone thinks about it as a 'sing 'round the campfire' song, and it is, but what's wrong, if you believe, in asking God to check it out? We're singing to you, Lord, we're inviting you here. There's nothing wrong with that, but that wasn't the song we sang."

"Okay, what was the song?" Seth asked.

"And they'll know we are Christians," Kayla said, then in a soft voice, sang it for him. Kayla did not have a professional voice, but growing up in the church meant her voice had been trained by years of choir and hymn singing. Now she didn't use it for much more than the occasional Karaoke night with the girls, but the song was simple and she could pull it off.

_We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord_   
_We are one in the Spirit, we are one in the Lord_   
_And we pray that all unity will one day be restored_   
_And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love_   
_And they'll know we are Christians by our love_

_We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand_   
_We will walk with each other, we will walk hand in hand_   
_And together we'll spread the news that God is in our land_   
_And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love_   
_And, they'll know we are Christians by our love._

_We will work with each other, we will work side by side_   
_We will work with each other, we will work side by side_   
_And we'll guard each man's dignity and save each man's pride_   
_And they'll know we are Christians by our love, by our love_   
_And, they'll know we are Christians by our love._

 

While Gospel was far down, maybe even right on the bottom of the list of music Seth liked, he could appreciate the song for the simplicity of the melody and the way the words wove in with the music. It was a very balanced song of rhythm and beat with simple melody to pull it all together. As he listened, Seth got a small inkling as to why some folks might find the idea of religion to be a comfort, rather than a restriction. The song made you feel something; that there really might be a supreme being out there who looked out over you and cared for you. "That's a pretty song," he commented when she was finished. "There's an almost native, tribal, feel to it."

"I know," Kayla said. "We sang that before almost everything. It wasn't just because it was a pretty song though, it was to remind us that our duty, as Christians, was to embrace the world with love. Not judgment, it's God's job to judge. Our job, as his children was to love each other. And respect each other. And I still believe that. My family believes that. The last verse is really important. It says ' _Guard each man's dignity and save each man's Pride_ ,' it doesn't say _'Judge each man's lifestyle and threaten them with hell._ ' I grew up thinking that being a Christian didn't give me the power to be judgmental, instead it was a responsibility _not_ to be judgmental. If God was not going to judge me on earth, who was I to judge anyone else? Sure, I could go out and tell people about God. I could yell it from the top of the mountain. But more important was to _show_ it. To embrace everyone with love, even people who I didn't particularly like. _Especially_ people I didn't particularly like. Because that's what I was raised to believe God would do. And that's the God I want to show Payton; the God I grew up with. Not the judgmental Sky Bully that rules the world with an iron fist of hate, but the God that loves, the God that wants us to love, that made us to love. It's not fair that she only sees the God of Church of Greedy Jesus without seeing the God spoken of in that song."

"What if you do expose her to this wonderful god, and she ends up in a few years saying that she's weighed the options, checked the facts, and is pretty sure God doesn't exist?" Seth asked. "What do you do then?"

"I respect it," Kayla said. "Because at least then, she is armed with both sides. She'll know that some folks twist God for their own purposes, but others see being a Christian as a reason to be better people. That's the whole point of religion, isn't it? Not to say, 'My Sky Daddy is better than your Sky Daddy, thus, I can make the rules.' Religion should make you a better person. If it doesn't, then yes, by all means, become an atheist. There are a lot of folks out there who claim to love Jesus who I wish would stop loving him so much because that love is poison. But I've seen some atheists who need a good shot of God to take them off that mountain top that they think makes them superior to everyone else." Even though Seth was keeping his eyes on the road most of the time, he knew she was looking at him. "I want our daughter to grow up to be the best person she can be, and I think that showing her both sides is good," she continued. "Besides, until she can go to school next Fall, Church will be a good way for her to socialize with kids her age. It's wonderful she has Leah and Neil, but they live a fair distance. These will be kids she can interact with at least once a week. And maybe some of them will be in her class when she starts school."

"All right," Seth said. "I won't say I'll always go with you on Sunday, you know I'm not a church person, but I'll at least go with you some of the time when I'm home."

"Fair enough," Kayla said with a satisfied nod. "Do that, and I promise I'll get up early on Sunday and make you a proper Sunday breakfast, like my mother always made for us. Waffles, eggs, and sausage, the whole nine yards."

"Will you help me work off all that, Sunday night?" He asked, grinning.

"Why Mr. Rollins!" Kayla fell into her "Southern Belle" voice. "I do believe you're havin' some naughty thoughts."

"It's hard not to," Seth admitted. "Especially around you, Funny-Bunny-Buck-Tooth." Since her teeth now, thanks to braces, were perfectly straight and white as a Virgin wedding dress, they both laughed.

 

* * *

 

When they got to the arena. Seth was almost instantly put to work signing autographs, giving talks, all those things the WWE World Heavyweight Champion was supposed to do. Kayla checked into the hotel, but they let Payton stay with Seth. She sat near him while he was signing autographs, or off to the side when he was giving talks. She was good though, she never tried to interrupt. But he felt her eyes on him most of the time.

He had one thing he desperately needed to accomplish and he finally did manage to tell Stephanie that he needed to have a meeting with her, Hunter, Randy and Roman that evening, when everything had died down for the night and they had some time. Stephanie looked at him with suspicion on her face, but she had things she had to do, and no time to ask, so she said she would do her best.

Two hours later, when he was signing autographs, one of the interns slipped him a note. He opened it:

_Tonight at 9:30. Suite #807._

 

He read the note, smiled, folded it and put it in his pocket. Hopefully, Payton would be asleep by then.

 

* * *

 

Suite #807 was a hotel room, rented to the WWE for this PPV, for the sole purpose of being able to hold meetings with the talent. When Seth knocked on the door, at exactly 9:30, Hunter opened the door for both him and Roman, who Seth had met in the hall. The bed had been moved out and replaced with an oval table set with chairs. Randy was already there along with Vince, Hunter and Stephanie. After everyone got comfortable, drinks were distributed, and small talk was exchanged, Stephanie decided to get right to the point. "Seth, you're the one that asked for this meeting, what's up?"

Seth could have hesitated, beaten around the bush a bit, but he decided to be direct. "I need to drop the belt."

Everyone in the room except for Stephanie stared at him in shock, Seth could feel their gazes on him, almost as if they expected him to jump up giggling, and yell, "Psych!" But Seth sat there, calmly.

"Y-you're joking, right?" Vince finally managed to say. " _Tell_ me you're kidding. We're planning on having you hold that until at least Summer Slam. You barely got it. Tomorrow you're supposed to defend it against Randy and win. Are you saying we should just change everything and let Randy win?"

"Sounds good to me," Randy said, grinning. "I'll be happy to take it." A chuckle escaped from Roman, but he said nothing.

"Not tomorrow," Seth explained. "That's too soon, but at Payback, I need to drop the belt _at_ Payback."

"Why?" Vince asked, still looking as if he were waiting for Seth to let him in on the joke.

Seth drew in a deep breath before speaking. "You all know about Payton's folks, right? They've died. So, I don't think it's going to come as a shock to anyone that Kayla and I are going to see if we can adopt her."

"Congratulations," Roman said, his smile warm and genuine. "Our daughters will be friends _and_ cousins."

"Thanks," Seth said, "but don't be too premature. Nothing is carved in stone. Just because we petition doesn't mean we'll get to adopt her."

"Why not?" Randy looked puzzled. "She's been staying with you, right?"

"And don't you have custody papers signed from her folks?" Hunter added.

"Yeah," Seth said. "Yes to both. And yes, the guardianship papers we have are the reason why we still have her in our custody now. But they don't guarantee we'll be allowed to adopt her. We don't think the Caldwell's left a will, at least not with any lawyer. If they left a holographic will, it hasn't been found yet, and we strongly doubt they listed anyone as potential guardians for Payton, otherwise, we'd imagine they would have contacted them to take care of Payton during Preston's last days. Payton's only living blood relatives, as far as we know, are Andrea's parents and Evan, Payton's Grandfather, has beginning stages of Alzheimer's, so they are not able to care for Payton."

"Sounds pretty cut and dry to me," Vince said, shrugging. "You love the kid, the kid loves you, you're taking care of the kid, possession is 9/10ths of the law, sign some papers, the kid should be yours."

Seth tried not to laugh, thinking Vince would not appreciate it, but it was funny the way Vince just assumed that this should be a non-issue. "You'd think so, wouldn't you?" he said, trying to be diplomatic, "but the courts don't see it that way. Because Kayla and I are not relatives by blood, the state needs to be 100% sure we're the best parents for Payton."

"That's ridiculous," Vince said, scowling. "Of course you and Kayla are. You love the kid, right? It's not like she's a cute little baby either. No offense, but people aren't lined up around the block to take in a six-"

"-Eight," Seth interjected to correct.

"Eight year old," Vince corrected himself, not missing a beat. "The courts should be thrilled they don't have to worry about putting her in foster care where they'd have to pay folks to take care of her." He waved his hand dismissively, as if his very declaration was all that was needed, as if he expected the adoption papers would fall out of the sky and land in Seth's hands all properly filled out and notarized. "But, what does this have to do with the belt?"

Stephanie spoke up, "Dad, it's not that simple." Seth could tell from her eyes that she was trying not to smile at her dad's misconceptions about how the world worked. "I'm sure the courts will eventually agree that Seth and Kayla are the best choice, but they will have to appear in court. There will likely be visits at their house from social workers to make sure they can properly provide for the child-"

"Can't we just produce an income statement?" Vince asked. "We pay him enough, of course he can afford to support a child. And doesn't your fiancee make a good living?" He looked at Seth.

"When she works," Seth admitted, a bit flattered that Vince knew enough about him to know that his fiancee made a good living, even if he was sure Vince had no idea what it was she did. "But she hasn't been working, because of Payton. And the chances are she won't be working until Payton is in school and even then it's up in the air."

"Still, you make enough to support a family," Vince said. "I know you guys always gripe we don't pay you what you feel you deserve, but you're not exactly making Walmart wages."

Seth heard Roman and Randy sniggering on either side of him, but he ignored it. "That's true, I have no complaints about how I am paid." Actually, sometimes he did, but he wasn't going to bring those up now.

"Well, then, that's simple." Vince looked at Stephanie. "Remind me to have my secretary send a copy of Seth's contract, showing what we pay him, to the courts in Davenport. They'll see he can certainly afford a child."

"Again, it's not that simple," Stephanie said. "Financial ability is only one thing the courts will look at. They want to make sure Payton will grow up in a home with parents who love each other and are committed to giving Payton the best life possible, so when she goes out into the world, she'll be the best she can be."

"Seth is a fine young man, Payton could do far worse." Vince looked at Seth. "You'll make a great father, I know you will. But what does this have to do with dropping the belt, as you put it?"

"I don't feel I can be a good champion," Seth said, finding himself again a bit flattered at Vince's attitudes about him, this time that he would make a great father. "I've gone through my contract, I am allowed to take time off for family emergencies and this is a family emergency."

"Are you talking about being completely gone?" Hunter asked, speaking for the first time. "No Raw or SmackDown even? Like we'll need to have you get 'injured' for awhile?"

"No," Seth said, shaking his head. "I'll be around for Raw and SmackDown. I'll even appear on the pay per views if I'm needed. I'll do what I can to make sure I won't have to be in court on Mondays or Tuesdays. But I don't want to be on any house shows. I need to be home. Not just for the courts, but for Payton too. Her parents died, she's having trouble coping with that. She needs the stability of both Kayla and myself for a bit."

Vince frowned. "Well, I don't like the idea of you being unable to do house shows and tours, but we could possibly work it out."

Seth shook his head. "No. I've thought about this a lot. I think it's better that I drop the belt. I know Lesnar is a cut and run champion, but he gets away with it. That doesn't fit my ring persona." He bit his lower lip thoughtfully before speaking again. "Look, I've _always_ been the company man. You tell me to jump, I jump. You tell me to be in Peoria the next day, and I'm headed for Peoria. But this is different. This is my life. Let's face it, I could botch a move tomorrow and end up in a wheelchair for the rest of my life. And if that happens, the WWE goes on without me. But my family? They'll be there for me. I don't want to screw this up. Until Payton is better able to cope with her parent's death and until we have legally adopted her, I have to put my family as my very top priority. I can't do that and be a good WWE World Heavyweight champion. So, I think for both myself and the WWE the best thing I can do is drop the belt." He took a sip of the diet Coke he'd chosen to drink before continuing. "Not at this pay per view though, for this one we should go as we planned. Let me win. I know I won't be around for House shows, but unless it's an emergency, I will be on every Raw, SmackDown and if needed, Main Event. I will film promos too. But at Payback? Let me drop the belt."

"Well, maybe we can get Lesnar to come to Payback," Vince mused.

"No," Seth said, shaking his head. "Let's not give Lesnar the belt again. Really, people had to live long enough with a champion who barely showed his face. Let's not go that way again, at least for awhile longer."

"I agree," Hunter said. "Yes, Lesnar has his fans and those fans adore him, but there are a lot of other fans who'd rather not have the absent defender." He leaned back in his chair and looked at Seth. "I have a feeling you have someone in mind. Who were you thinking?"

Seth didn't hesitate. "Roman."

Roman looked up at him, as if Seth had spit in his face rather than suggest he win the championship.

"What about me?" Randy interjected before Roman could say a word. " _I'm_ in the running."

"You've had the belt," Seth said. "I think we should take a chance, do something different."

"I don't know," Vince said slowly.

"Do you think he's ready, Seth?" Hunter asked, looking quite doubtful himself.

"Not this second," Seth admitted, "But we've got a month to work with him. We'll get him going."

"But it would make more sense if it were me," Randy disagreed.

"I think it could work," Stephanie said, sounding as if she were thinking carefully while she spoke.

"Can I say something?" Roman asked. His voice was soft, as it often was, but something about it made it carry across the room. Everyone stopped talking and looked at him. He cleared his throat. "Seth? Thank you. I'm honored you thought of me, but bro, no way."

"What do you _mean_ , no way?" Vince asked, before Seth could speak. "I'm not saying we're going to give it to you, but for god's sake, you can't be rejecting it, it's the WWE World Heavyweight Championship! It's the brass ring!"

"I know that, Sir," Roman said, still speaking softly, but clearly. "And I _do_ want it, more than anything else in the world, but not as a rush job. People were furious when I won the Royal Rumble. They said I was being shoved down their throats and maybe they were right. I'm just starting to be able to show my face in events without being booed. I'm just starting to see the WWE put up a video of me and not seen it immediately filled with 'he sucks' comments. I'm slowly proving to these people that yeah, I've got what it takes to earn my spot at the top. I'd rather fight my way to the top than be carried. People who once said I can't wrestle aren't saying it so loudly. People that say I can't talk on the mike are starting to change their tune. But if I get the strap at Payback? That all goes away. People will say I'm being forced down their throats and they'll be right." He turned to look at Seth. "Bro, you don't know what it means to me that you'd fight for me to get another chance. But I'm not ready."

"Are we in Montreal or something?" Vince muttered, looking around. "Since when does someone _not_ want the Championship?"

"Don't look at me," Randy said, a small grin fixed on his lips, as if he were enjoying this entire exchange. "I'm not saying no."

"I don't think you should have it either," Roman said, very careful that he didn't sound insulting. "Seth's right, you've been champion before. It's time for someone else. You're a great Champion, Randy, but I think it's time to put a new face behind the belt."

"Who did you have in mind?" Hunter asked. "Because it's pretty clear from the look on your face, you know who you think should get the chance."

"I do," Roman admitted. "We need someone who will breathe some fresh air into the championship. We've had the disappearing brute, we've had the weasel faced Brat Prince." he looked over at Seth, grinning and said, "No offense."

"None taken, Fabio," Seth quipped.

"We need someone who is neither of these things. We need someone who will make the championship interesting," Roman continued. "Someone people will tune in, just to see what crazy stuff he'll pull next. We need-"

Seth was looking at him, realizing who he meant and the two men spoke at the same time, "Dean Ambrose." Then, Seth nodded. "Yeah, that's brilliant."

"What?" Vince shook his head. "Are we in Bizarro World? Well, Punk's from this city, so we damned well _could_ be. Dean Ambrose? Are you _serious?"_

"Dead serious," Roman said.

"Look, Dean is a nice kid and all, but he's not champion material." Vince said, still shaking his head.

"Why not?" Seth said, grinning as he thought about Dean as the champion. "Vince, he's master of the mike. Give him the belt, hand him the microphone and he'll deliver gold to you, every single time. You know he will, I know he will. Don't give him a strict script, don't make him do things like steal hot dog carts, just tell him what he needs to accomplish, tell him how much time he's got to do it, and let him go. He'll deliver promos that people will quote from for days."

"He's not that good," Vince muttered.

"Sir," Roman shook his head. "Not to be disrespectful, but you're talking about a man who launched a million memes on the internet, simply by saying the word, 'nope.'"

Randy frowned, but he was nodding too. "I hate to say it, but they're right.  Dean would make a different type of champion than the WWE is used to, lately."

"He'd come clear out of the blue," Seth said. "No one is expecting him to become champion this year, so this would just shock the WWE Universe."

"Not everyone loves shock," Vince reminded him, an edge of sarcasm in his voice.

"But a lot of people love Dean Ambrose," Seth reminded him right back. "And a lot of people love Jon Moxley. Let Dean be Mox. Let him be the crazy champion. Don't make him some weird good guy, make him crazy, make him like he was back in the Mox days. Don't just call him unstable, let him _be_ unstable."

Hunter was nodding too. "I think Roman and Seth have a point," he said. "Dean is popular. And when he's not forced to stick to a ridged script, when he's allowed to say what he wants, he's fantastic on the mike. He's got a charisma about him that makes people stand up and take notice. He's unpredictable, he's fun."

"And the championship isn't carved in stone," Roman reminded them. "Try it for a month. If he isn't blowing the socks off of everyone and getting pops loud enough to be heard six streets away when his entrance music starts? Then you have him lose it to Randy or whoever you decide would be the next best choice. What do you have to lose?"

"But we haven't even had him in the running!" Vince reminded them.

"So?" Seth asked. "We've got a month to put him in the running, we can figure it out."

"We figure out how to make the title defense a four way," Stephanie said, slowly. "Roman, you should at least be a contender. Randy, you'll be in it too. And some how, some way, maybe Seth will piss Kane off and as a punishment, we'll throw Dean Ambrose in too." She started smiling, clearly warming to this idea as Roman, Seth, and her husband were. "The rumor mill has it that Seth will hold on to the belt until at least Summer Slam-"

"How do these rumors keep leaking?" Vince muttered.

"-we don't tell anyone about this," Stephanie continued, as if Vince hadn't interrupted, "We'll be the only ones who know. Everyone will think Dean is just a throw away, destined to lose, hell, they'll think all three of them are throw away, but Dean will be on the bottom of the candidates to win. And he'll win."

"I like it," Hunter agreed.

"Do I have a say?" Vince grumbled, but there was something in his eyes that said he was merely protesting as a formality. That if he wasn't delighted, he would at least let this happen. Dean Ambrose _was_ gold on the microphone. He would make his run as Champion, even if it was a short one, memorable.

Just then, there was a knock at the door. Roman rose to his feet. "I'll get that," he said.

"Great, now Roman's answering the door," Vince grumbled. "Next thing you know it, he and Seth over here will be running the company." He looked at Hunter and Stephanie. "We can open up a used book store or something.  Maybe even sell coffee."

Roman returned, Dean with him. "I hope no one minds, but while we were talking, I texted Dean," Roman said. "I figured he had the right to know what was going on."

Dean was wearing a pair of sweat pants and a black T-shirt with jagged white letters declaring "WVW" across his chest. His hair was tousled and he had the look of someone who had rolled into the fastest clothes he could find. _He was probably getting ready for bed, if not in bed,_ Seth thought. _Probably talking to Cinnamon or texting Neil when Roman's text came through. Wow, it wasn't so long ago when he would have been out partying and hitting on every woman he could find_.

"Uh, hi," Dean said, running his fingers through his hair. "Am I in trouble?"

"No," Hunter said, shaking his head. "Have a seat, Dean."

Dean sat down, looking around at everyone. "So, uh, what's going on?"

Vince looked at him, shaking his head as if he couldn't believe what he was about to say. "Dean Ambrose, how would you like to be the WWE World Heavyweight Champion?"

 

* * *

 

Half an hour later, the three men headed back to their hotel rooms. Roman and Dean had not brought their families to this pay per view, so they were sharing a room, but unlike the old days where the three of them would bunk up in one room with two beds, they had a two bedroom suite. Seth was on the same floor in his own two bedroom suite.

"How can I ever thank you guys?" Dean asked, still looking dazed. "I thought I was destined to be an upper card jobber for another year, and now that's all changed." He spoke softly because you never knew who might be listening.

"Don't thank me, thank Roman," Seth said quietly. "He's the one who suggested it."

"You deserve this chance," Roman said, also keeping his voice low. "And you can thank Seth too, he agreed with my idea and talked you up."

"Well, thank you to both of you," Dean said, wiping his eyes and sniffling.

"Dude!" Seth stared at him in disbelief. "Are you _crying?"_

"No!" Dean said quickly. "It's allergies. You know how Chicago acts with my allergies. And I forgot to pack any Allegra."

Seth shook his head. Sometimes, the more things change, the more they stay the same, he pondered, remembering all the times when they were in The Shield that he'd made sure to have Allegra for Dean's allergies, because Dean never seemed to remember to buy any himself. The times he'd loaned Roman his phone charger, because Roman would forget to pack his. Seth had always been the one to remember the little things that his two brothers would forget, right down to grabbing and packing any extra soaps that weren't Dial, because Roman hated Dial soap and some places used it exclusively. They were at the door to his hotel room and he paused, pulling out his key card. "Give me a moment, Dean," he said. "I've got some Allegra in my kit, I'll bring it down to your room."

"Can you lend me your phone charger?" Roman asked, looking sheepish. "I forgot mine and my phone died right after I texted Dean."

"Sure," Seth said, shaking his head again, grinning. "I've got an extra one you can use while you're here."

End of Chapter Twenty.


	21. Chapter 21

"Isn't this awesome?" Dean chirped for about the hundredth time the last hour.

Seth looked around the place, not a difficult feat as it was a ten foot by ten foot space, while shaking his head. "Dean," he said, slowly but distinctly, "we're in a shed."

"I know!" Dean enthused. "But it was cleaned up. Isn't it great?" He was pacing the length of the place, which was large by shed standards, but small by room standards. But he wasn't pacing like a caged animal, he was pacing like someone who was anxious for whatever was coming next to begin.

"It's still a _shed._ " Seth was sitting on an overturned five gallon plastic bucket, that he had wiped down with paper towels and all purpose cleaner, so as not to get his suit dirty. His shoes, however, were another matter and he was pretty sure when they left this room, they would no longer be shiny and black, but instead, a dusty gray color. Yes, someone had removed the lawn mower and many of the bigger shed type things, and done a general floor sweep, but the place still was far from sanitary. He watched Dean pacing, back and forth, and his gaze focused on Dean's waist, where the WWE Championship belt hung. "Are you _really_ going to wear that for this?"

"You betcha!" Dean said, grinning happily. "As long as I'm Champion, I'm going to wear this belt everywhere. Besides, gotta keep the Kayfabe going and you know the rules, I have to wear this belt _everywhere."_

It was June and Dean was still Champion, and pretty much guarantee to keep the belt in the next Pay Per View, which meant he would hold it until at least Summer Slam. Roman and Seth had been right about Dean to the point where Vince now acted like Dean's run at the championship had been entirely his idea and all Roman and Seth had done was agreed with him.

Dean had brought an unbridled enthusiasm to the Championship that had drawn people in, even people that were at best the most casual wrestling fans. He even brought people who weren't wrestling fans to the WWE, because he was so entertaining, people found themselves tuning in just to see what, "That crazy Ambrose!" would do. He would defend the belt at the drop of a hat, he didn't care where or when and his fights were always over the top. He didn't act like a typical champion, he acted like crazy Dean Ambrose, or maybe even Crazy Jon Moxley, the champ. One of his ongoing story lines that was hugely popular, was between him and the belt, literally, based on a real life incident. A week after he was made Champion, he showed up at Raw late because of a rental car mix up, and without the belt and for a half an hour or so, Dean could not remember where he had left it. The belt turned out to be in the rental car so it was a simple matter of going to the parking garage and getting it, once Dean _did_ remember, but that had sparked an idea with Roman, who mentioned it to Seth, who knew it was a winner. They talked to Dean, who agreed that this was a wonderful idea, and the three of them talked to Hunter and Stephanie, who put their seal of approval on it.

The story line was simple. While Dean was very proud of being Champion, he kept losing the belt. He would take it everywhere, because he was so thrilled at being the champion, but things would happen and he'd end up leaving the belt behind. So almost every Raw and SmackDown opened with Hunter, Stephanie, or another member of the Authority asking Dean where the belt was, and Dean, scratching his head and trying to think. The show would open, sometimes even with Dean going down to the ring to open, with an obviously fake version of the belt and saying nothing about it, acting like it was the real belt. Then later, would come another promo that would show a fancy black SUV pulling up somewhere, usually a rowdy, party place in the area. The next thing you'd see is two guys in suits walking into the place to get the belt, which might be hanging up on a wall, or around the waist of a pretty waitress, or sitting on a bar stool with a drink in front of it. If it wasn't a bar, they went to other strange places too, which made people wonder what Dean had been doing all day. One time the belt was found in the local library, with a copy of one of Mick Foley's books opened on the table as if the belt were reading it, another time the men went into an Elementary school and took the belt from five very young students who were holding it up proudly for show and tell. It was even found once hanging in a Monkey cage at a zoo, as if hung up to be a toy. There were a few people, Vince for one and even some fans, that grumbled about the disrespect being shown to the belt, but most people loved it and speculated where the belt would be found next. The WWE website was constantly flooded with emails and comments making suggestions of where in the next city, the belt might be lost and then found again.

Of course in the story line, this belt losing was not appreciated at all by the Authority, who kept trying to stop it. They tried first taking the belt from him, giving it to him only for matches, but Dean had grabbed the belt after he won the fight that very night, and ran out the door with it like Punk had done. The latest trick was to insist he wore it everywhere and was not allowed to take it off from around his waist. They did a promo with him sleeping on a cot in the back, the belt around his waist. Of course, he was _still_ managing to lose it, but Dean was right, according to the rules of Kayfabe, he should wear that belt, even now, even for this occasion.

_What have I gotten myself into?_ Seth thought, wishing the air in this shed wasn't so stuffy. June in West Virginia was hot and no one had tried to make sure this shed was cool. It only had one tiny window, which was open, but it wasn't doing much to keep the air from growing hot and stifling.

He was in the shed in Dean and Cinnamon's back yard, wearing a suit, in the middle of June. He knew exactly how how he got here, but he still wasn't sure why.

After Extreme Rules and the Raw show and SmackDown taping that followed, Seth had gone home. The joint funeral for Myron and Andrea was a simple affair. Dolph and Daniel had shown up out of respect for Preston. Stephanie and Hunter had shown up because the WWE had befriended Preston and the family and it seemed only fitting.

What surprised and delighted Seth, Kayla and even Payton, was that Roman, Dean, and their families had shown up as well, even though Dean and Roman barely knew the Caldwells. "Funerals are for the living," Roman explained, after Seth had opened the door on Thursday morning, the day before the funeral, to find Roman, Jessica, Leah, Dean, Cinnamon and Neil standing there. "Besides, we figured Payton might want to hang with her friends for a bit."

Even though Roman and Dean were happy to get hotel rooms, Seth and Kayla insisted they stay at the house, so even though it was a funeral, their was a relaxed almost party like atmosphere. Payton brightened up seeing Leah and Neil and became must less clingy with Seth. She and Leah slept in her room together that one night, Roman and Jessica used the guest room, Dean and Cinnamon the office with the futon. Poor Neil was the odd one out, until Kayla took him on the sun porch and said he could sleep in the hammock. Neil was delighted and reported the next day at breakfast he only fell out of it once, otherwise, he thought hammocks made pretty neat beds and he envied pirates and sailors for being able to use one all the time. He suggested his parents might want to put one in his room instead, but Cinnamon wasn't nearly as crazy about that idea, even if Dean looked like he might be considering it for a moment.

They were unable to stay another night, and left after the funeral, which made all three of them sad, but when they went home, Seth found himself glad they weren't there, because the moment they were in the house, Payton got down to business. "Where am I going to go?" she asked and Seth and Kayla could hear the tears in those six words, the fear she felt in saying them. But she would not show the fear, nor the tears.

"Where do you want to go?" Kayla asked carefully. "And why do you want to go?"

"I don't want to go," Payton said, her fingers curling and uncurling, going from fist to straight, over and over again. "But I don't have a family no more."

"Payton," Seth said slowly. "Didn't I explain when you first came here that we're your chosen family?"

"Yes," Payton said. "But that was when I had an _unchosen_ family. Now that I don't have a blood family, what happens?"

"We become your chosen and unchosen family," Seth said, realizing that he and Kayla had been making sure everyone in the world knew they were adopting Payton, except for Payton. She hadn't wanted to talk about her parents, thus, they hadn't brought up her parents, or her future. They had assumed that Payton knew. _No wonder she's been upset, she had no clue that we have no intention of letting her leave us,_ he thought.

"Do you know what the word, adopt means?" Kayla said gently, looking at the girl. They were in the living room and Payton was sitting on the sofa between the two of them, alternating looking from one to the other.

She nodded at Kayla's question. "It means to get a dog or a cat from a shelter," she explained with an air of being quite wise to such things, but having no clue why she was being asked as it had nothing to do with the conversation. "Dogs and cats are alive, so you don't buy them. You _adopt_ them."

"Well, that's true," Kayla agreed, and Seth could see she was trying not to smile. "You bring them into your family. Adoption means to make someone part of your family in a legal way. You can adopt a dog or a cat, or a young girl too. But unlike adopting a dog or cat, when you adopt child, the people who adopt you become your parents all legal, just as much as if they had you the old fashioned way. They even issue a new birth certificate for that child, listing the adoptive people as only parents."

"Uh-huh," Payton said, slowly drawing it out. "So, what are you saying?"

"She's saying we're going to adopt you," Seth said. "We're going to go and see a judge and let him see what a great family we are and the judge, being a smart man, will say, 'Why, this is where you belong,' Then he'll bang his gavel and you'll be our daughter legally."

"Well, it doesn't quite work like that, but it's similar," Kayla said with a smile. "It will probably take a little longer than that."

"So I stay here, with you guys, forever?" Payton said, looking from one to the other.

"If that's what you want," Seth said.

She nodded. And then she burst into tears and couldn't talk for a long time. Seth was worried about that, but Kayla said that it wasn't just sad tears, they were happy tears too, because obviously Payton had been scared about what would happen next and now she knew, and that was a good thing. Payton nodded in agreement, but kept right on crying. Then Kayla started to cry with her, and Seth found himself feeling like he might tear up, but instead he grabbed the box of tissues from the end table and gave it to Kayla and Payton, who took tissues out and started wiping their eyes and blowing their noses.

_I'm going to buy stock in Klenex_ , Seth thought.

* * *

 

That was a bit of a turning point for Payton. Did she go right back to being the perfect child she had been? No, she still had meltdowns, she still had to deal with the death of her parents, but she was less clingy. Seth could leave her sight to do things without her getting too anxious. She still appreciated that he was around more than normal and he tried to give her special one on one time, just the two of them. While Payton could watch TV or play video games with the best of any kid, she really enjoyed being active, so she and Seth would ride bikes (of course they got her a bike of her own) or go for walks together.

 Their lawyer, Steve Lane had wasted no time filing paperwork with the courts, moving for temporary custody of Payton to be awarded to Seth and Kayla. Armed with the paper that the Caldwells themselves had signed, giving Seth and Kayla temporary custody, the hearing was nothing but a formality. Seth and Kayla were allowed to keep Payton until the courts decided what was best for her.

After that, Steve called them one night and told them he had called another lawyer, a Ms. Bethany Laughlin and asked her if she would be interested in taking over their case.

"She's a family lawyer so this is right up her alley," Steve explained. "She's going to charge you more than I would, but she won't brutalize you, don't worry."

"I'm not worried about the money," Seth said, concerned that Steve was insistent about turning over the case to another lawyer, "I'm worried about adopting Payton, that's the issue, that's all that matters to Kayla and I."

"That's why I think you should go with Bethany Laughlin," Steve said. "To me, this case seems pretty cut and dry, but family court is a whole different ball game. Apparently, the next step is that you and Kayla are approved to be foster parents and Payton becomes your foster daughter."

"Can't we just skip that part?" Seth asked. "Go right for the adoption?"

"You'd think so, but it doesn't work like that," Steve said, sighing. "Family court has rules and since the future of a child is at stake, they won't bend on the rules. That's why you need Bethany. This isn't her first time 'round the Ferris wheel, she'll guide you through it."

When Seth got off the phone with Steve, armed with Bethany Laughlin's name and business cell phone number, he told Kayla about it. As they were going to call, the phone rang and it turned out to be Bethany Laughlin. She agreed to come over to their place the next day at 4:00. When Seth said they could go to her office she told them she would rather come to their house.

"I need to see where you live, how you live," she said. "I also need to talk to Payton. If everything works out, I'll have you sign the paperwork saying I'm your lawyer and I'll do what I can to get the ball rolling to get this over with as fast as possible."

"How long do you think it will take?" Seth asked.

"I'll answer that after we meet."

 

Bethany Laughlin turned out to be young, blonde, and had legs that went up to her eyes. She showed up at the house wearing a pair of jeans, a nice blouse, and a simple blazer. On her feet were sneakers. Seth wasn't sure what to expect as he lead her into the house, but he wondered why Steve had talked her up so much, she looked like she should be rushing off to cheerleader practice, not meeting perspective clients.

By the time she left, Seth and Kayla's confidence in Steve's choice of new lawyer was through the roof. She explained that they were going to have to tangle with Social workers, who would want to inspect their house so she wanted to go through it first, which she did. She managed to make a list of things they would need to correct. "I'm over thinking this," she admitted. "Chances are you'll do just fine even if you change nothing, but I know social workers, they're human. If they're having a bad day, or if they don't like wrestlers, they'll look for things to bother them. We'll let them find a couple minor ones, if they want to go on a rampage, things that are easy to fix and not really dangerous for a child Payton's age, but everything else they might complain about? Let's take care of it." She tore a piece of paper off the legal pad she was holding and handed it to them. Seth looked it over, it contained things like, "Safety latches not on cabinets holding dangerous household chemicals, liquor cabinet not equipped with a lock." "Do we _really_ have to worry that Payton is going to start helping herself to the booze?" he asked.

"You'd be surprised," was Bethany's answer.

Kayla took the list and looked at it. "We'll get these all fixed, I promise."

"Good." Bethany nodded, clearly pleased with this answer. She talked to Payton alone, and warned them that besides social workers coming to inspect their house, it was likely the courts would appoint a lawyer for Payton.

"What are you, then?" Seth asked.

"I'm your lawyer," Bethany said, smiling. "The courts might decide to appoint her a guardian ad litem, to look out for her best interest. They might not, but I want you to be prepared, so you won't be shocked. When we go to court to have you appointed her foster family, I'm going to suggest that won't be necessary, but it is up to the judge. Payton has no estate from her parents, so the courts don't have to worry that you're trying to adopt her for financial gain. Do you have any skeletons in the closet you need to tell me about? Either of you ever been arrested?"

"I got a speeding ticket once," Kayla confessed. "But I went to court and fought it and won."

Bethany smiled. "Okay, I think I can work with that. What about you?" She looked at Seth, who shook his head. "Good, Anyone ever accuse either of you of looking too long at their kid? I'm talking about _anything_ that might come back to haunt us. Here's the problem, folks, you're a public figure, Seth, word of this can and _will_ get out. When it does, if there was ever a daddy or mommy who might even think that you showed too much interest in their little Jane or Jimmy, this will bring them out of the woodwork. So, come clean."

"No," Seth said, slowly. "I don't think so, I mean, not that I know of. I don't remember a fan ever getting upset or anyone, for how I interacted with their kids. I mean, I've met lots of them working with the WWE, but I never really got very involved with them, beyond the usual fan stuff until Payton. And usually the rules are that you're never alone with a kid without adult supervision, preferably with a parent. Now, I admit, I did do some really stupid stuff with Payton, but nothing happened."

"Define, stupid." Bethany stared at him, legal pad in hand.

"I gave her a cell phone. Later, Kayla said she gave it to her so her mother wouldn't worry." Seth said. "We played Nerf once in the boiler room of an arena. Not just her and I, but Jimmy and Jey Uso, Roman Reigns, Dean Ambrose and myself with Payton."

"Five grown men and a little girl, alone in a boiler room," Bethany said, shaking her head. "Yeah, don't do that anymore. I can tell by talking to you it was on the up and up, but if someone wanted to cause trouble, that would look awful creepy."

"I didn't think," Seth said, hanging his head.

"That's what tells me it was innocent," Bethany said. "If you were a pedophile, your story would have been a lot different. And I'm not saying that you did anything wrong, I'm just saying that until all is said and done, be very much on the up and up. I'm not worried about the Nerf thing, because it was Payton you were with, and anyone who talks to that girl for ten minutes will know she's not the victim of sexual abuse and she thinks the two of you are fantastic. I'm just warning you, live your life until all is said and done as if that creepy neighbor from that old TV show, _Bewitched_ was watching you."

"Mrs. Kravits?" Kayla asked.

"Yeah," Bethany nodded, gathering up her note pads and putting them into the satchel she used as a brief case. "Pretend she's watching all the time and don't do anything that would make her suspicious." She looked at both of them. "And one other thing, get married, okay?"

Seth wasn't expecting that and was glad he hadn't taken a sip of anything when she said it, or he would have sprayed her with it. "What?"

"Well," Bethany said, as if she had done nothing more than suggest they might want to paint their kitchen a brighter color. "You're engaged, I assume a wedding is in the plans for some point?"

"Yes," Kayla agreed. "But we were waiting until he could get a month or more off. We want to have a dream wedding and a long luxurious holiday."

"That's nice," Bethany said, smiling for a moment, and then her expression became serious. "That will make a wonderful one year or five year anniversary thing. Redo your vows, go on that honeymoon. But right now? You need to decide, what's more important. your dream wedding or Payton becoming your daughter. Because I might be able to get this done with the both of you engaged, but it will be a whole lot easier if you're married. If you're married, the judge can give both of you custody. If you aren't, he has to pick one of you. Also, judges love _families_. Not engaged people, but _families_. So, yeah, it's up to you, but I really think you two need to tie the knot as fast as possible."

When she left, she had a check Kayla had written, both of their cellphone numbers, promises that she could call them day or night for anything they needed from her, and a copy of their income tax record from last year. "Let me know about getting married," she said, as they walked her to the door. "I can't force you, but it will make things easier."

When she left, Seth sat down with Kayla for a moment. Payton was in her room, chatting on her new lap top with Leah, agreeing to stay there after meeting and talking with Bethany, so "the grownups could talk." He had promised to call her down the moment Bethany left, but he needed a minute to collect himself.

"So, when do you want to get married?" Kayla asked him, a mischievous smile on her face.

He grinned, then looked serious. "I'm sorry we're not going to have your dream wedding, our dream wedding."

She shrugged. "The lawyer is right, we can save the dream wedding for a dream anniversary. But the important thing is that we get married ASAP. If it'll make our chances of getting Payton, then I don't care if we get married by an Elvis impersonator in Las Vegas."

Seth laughed at that. "We won't have to go that far, although flying to Las Vegas this weekend might not be-" He paused, remembering something. It seemed that Kayla was thinking along the same lines as well.

In unison, they both said, "Cinnamon and Dean."

They were supposed to fly out to West Virginia for Cinnamon and Dean's wedding, which would take place on Saturday. They were going to fly down Friday, go to the wedding and fly back Sunday. Roman, Jessica, and Leah would be there, of course, and Payton was looking forward to it.

"We can't get to Vegas and get married before then," Kayla said. "It's Wednesday. So, we have to either skip their wedding for our wedding, or go to their wedding and then next week do our wedding."

Seth chewed his lower lip, thinking. "I don't want to miss Dean's wedding, but the way Bethany talked, I really think we need to do this as fast as possible. But man, Dean will be hurt."

"Call him," Kayla suggested. "Call him and explain the situation and ask him if he'd really mind that much. If he does, we'll wait a bit and attend his wedding. But if he's cool with it, tell him we'll take him and Cinnamon out for dinner to the most expensive place in town as soon as we can."

Seth thought that was a good idea and had called Dean, who heard the situation, then oddly, instead of answering, told him that he would call him back in less than an hour. _Maybe there's an emergency going on?_ he thought.

When Dean called back, he was excited. "Seth, Seth, come out here!" he said, close to babbling he was talking so fast. "I talked to Cinnamon and it's perfect, it's just perfect, you'll love it, you have to come out here. Tomorrow if you can, but if you can't switch the flight, just come out on Friday, this is gonna be the best _ever_ , you'll _love_ it, seriously, you gotta get _out_ here!" His words were strung together in a happy, jumbled mess, as if he was telling Seth he just won the lottery.

"Whoa, slow down, buddy!" Seth said, grinning and wondering what was up. "Why do we have to get out there, what's going on? I told you, we need to get married, our lawyer thinks the sooner the better."

"Yeah, I know!" Dean said. "That's why you _need_ to come out! I talked to Cinnamon and we agree! Since you need to get married and we already planned a wedding, you guys can come out here! We'll make it a double ceremony! C'mon, bro, it's the perfect plan!"

_End of Chapter Twenty-One_


	22. Chapter 22

Being male, Seth had never spent much time reflecting on his wedding. In his adolescence, he did have a few elaborate fantasies about the wedding night, complete with a beautiful, but faceless fantasy woman playing "the new wife," but that was about as far as it went.

Being female, Kayla had spent hours as a young girl, dreaming of her wedding. And like most engaged women, she had spent quite a few hours as an adult thinking about her wedding. Of course, she had shared those dreams with him. They would get married at night, a very formal affair and the church they would be married in would be lit up mostly by candles. She would wear a wedding dress designed for her by one of the top designers. His tuxedo would not be a rental, he would go to one of the finest men's clothing designers and have a tux designed just for him.

That was her favorite of her wedding ideas, but they had discussed others too. A sunrise wedding on a tropical paradise, an afternoon wedding at the Mary Martha Chapel in Wayland Massachusetts, near where she had been born and raised and where her parents still lived, many different possibilities had been discussed.

Yet, for some reason, the idea that they would get married in the back yard of Cinnamon and Dean's tiny little ranch house in West Virginia, the vows to be exchanged in Neil's homemade wrestling ring had never even been considered as a remote possibility. In fact, Seth would have bet his next year's salary that if two weeks ago, someone had told him there was even the slightest chance of happening, he and Kayla would have laughed until tears poured from their eyes. Yet, here they were. Well, here _he_ was, in a shed, with his fellow groom and brother by choice, Dean Ambrose. Kayla, by virtue of being the other bride, was in the house with Cinnamon. The women got the house, the men got the shed.

"This really wasn't what I had in mind," Seth said, unable to stop himself as he continued to watch Dean pace. They were waiting for Roman to tell them it was time to get to the ring. Roman had the job of being best man to both of them, which was nice, but for some reason, he didn't have to hang out in the shed.

"I know," Dean said cheerfully. "Cinnamon was sure you guys were thinking of trying to make the best of it, fly to Las Vegas and have some knock off of a wedding with plastic flowers, some Elvis impersonator, and all of that, but dude, I couldn't have that! You're my brother! We met because of wrestling, we're going to get married in a _wrestling ring_ , bro. This is going to be awesome, isn't it?"

"It will be _something,_ " Seth said. He appreciated Dean's enthusiasm, it was hard not to, but he still felt he needed to reserve judgment until he saw everything for himself. The things Dean had been telling him about this wedding had him on edge enough. _The important thing isn't how you get married_ , he told himself over and over again, as if it were a mantra to keep him sane. _The important thing is to be married so you can adopt Payton._

Being female, of course Payton wasn't in this musty old shed, she was in the house, where it was clean, and air conditioned, lucky girl. "Where's Neil?" he asked, wondering why Neil wasn't in here suffering with them. It was bad enough Roman claimed to have to help with things in the yard and wasn't here to enjoy the dusty stagnant air of the little shed.

"He's in the house," Dean said, shrugging. "He's giving Cinnamon away, so he's allowed to be in the house."

Seth found himself wishing he had offered to give Cinnamon away, even though he knew he would never have been considered, even if he were only to be a guest at this soiree. If Neil hadn't been picked for the job, it likely would have been Jasper Coleman, one of the wrestlers for WVW, the local wrestling outfit where Cinnamon worked as a paramedic (officially) and den mother to the wrestlers (unofficially). In the years when Neil was growing up and Dean had no idea of the boy's existence, Jasper had been the surrogate father and uncle and a very good friend to Cinnamon, with Cinnamon's parents being dead, he would have been the logical choice, after Neil.

Kayla had no one to give her away. They had called her folks to let them know they were getting married. Kayla, of course had kept them up to date on Payton and what was going on, and there were plans at some point, for a visit so everyone could meet, but it was decided that this wedding would not be the place to do it. Kayla was of the opinion that perhaps they would have a redo of their vows, when they would have the time to plan properly. Of course her parents would be at that affair.

Seth was grateful the Springers had bowed out. It wasn't that he was ashamed of Dean or this wedding, it was just that it was absolutely nothing like the wedding he and Kayla had talked about, nothing like the wedding the Springers wanted for their little girl.

"This is going to be the best wedding _ever!"_ Dean exclaimed enthusiastically. "We've got pretty much everyone at WVW here. They aren't even having a promo today because of this. And pretty much the whole neighborhood is going to be here too."

"Not the _whole_ neighborhood?" Seth asked, only a little bit sarcastic. Cinnamon was very popular with her neighbors, due to her friendly, relatively mellow nature, and her willingness to come running whenever one of the neighbors was hurt. There were advantages to having your own neighborhood paramedic. Cinnamon seemed to be born to nurture and the neighborhood loved her for it. On top of that, when Dean had stayed there for a few months, he'd made friends with the neighbors too. It wasn't that surprising that they all wanted to come to their wedding.

"Almost," Dean said, "There's one neighbor we don't care much about, so he's not invited. I doubt he'd accept if he was anyway. But everyone else? Yup. Plus we have a few people from the WWE." He looked at Seth, "You could have asked people to come, I mean it is your wedding too."

"I called you on Wednesday, it's now Saturday, that wasn't exactly enough time to have invitations printed and sent out," Seth reminded him. "Don't worry about it. I know a few of the guys in WVW too, from my indie days. And the WWE folks that are coming are friends of mine too. I don't feel entirely like a third wheel."

"You're not," Dean said cheerfully. "First, you're my brother. Second, you're really a _fourth_ wheel, 'cause everyone knows the bride comes first." When Seth frowned at him, he laughed. "That's cool though, bro! Because four wheels is balanced. This is where you belong, you and Kayla. We said when Shield started that we were family, and we are family. And a wedding is a family occasion."

Seth had to give Dean that. No matter how weird this wedding was, he did have family with him.

The door opened, flooding the tiny shed with sunshine, which only served to stir up the dust motes so they danced around lazily. Seth squinted as Roman popped his head in the door. "Hey guys, get in gorilla position. JP just arrived, all the decorating is done and I'll be coming to get you in a few minutes." He shut the door only part way, to look around outside.

"Yeah, it's cool!" someone yelled from out in the back yard.

Dean hurried over to the door. Seth stood up and made an attempt to wipe off his dusty shoes with one of the paper towels he'd used to clean the bucket he'd been sitting on. Roman opened the door all the way. "C'mon little brothers," he said cheerfully, "Lets get the two of you married."

Seth had not had much of a chance to look around when he was ushered to the shed that morning from the car. In some usual need to be traditional about at least one thing, Dean, Seth, Roman, and Neil, and had been banished to a hotel the night before, while the women had the house to themselves. Seth had wondered if Roman had planned a night of debauchery, but realized that with Neil around, that wasn't going to happen. But, they did have a bachelor party of sorts; Jasper and his friends found a place that was pretty much a Hooters knock off, where they had private rooms so Seth, Roman, Dean and anyone else from the WWE wouldn't have to worry about being recognized and thus mobbed by eager fans. It had been a nice enough place, their claim to local fame being that all the chicken they served was raised on a farm just down the street, where the chickens were allowed to roam about freely and fed only organic chicken feed and whatever they could scratch out of the earth with their little chicken feet. "Guilt Free Fun!" was their motto, which Seth found hysterically funny. Yeah, that was the problem with Hooters all right, the chicken wasn't organic. Not the waitresses who had to be model thin from the waist down and double D blessed from the waist up, nope, it was the _chicken_ , that was what made people upset, about Hooters. Good thing this place figured it out.

The girls at The Coop dressed like the stereotype of the farmer's daughter, daisy dukes and flannel shirts cut low and tied under the breasts to show off to the customers what God or a good plastic surgeon had given them. But, the chicken was fantastic. They served not only wings, but BBQ, fried, and several other forms of chicken. Despite their "down home" atmosphere, they also had an excellent beer offering, with a lot of almost unknown beers from microbreweries. And the girls were friendly, but didn't carry things too far with a ten year old boy present. A few of the gentlemen there made friends with the girls, if not for a lifetime, at least for a night. The girls did try to spoil Seth and Dean, when they found out they were the grooms, making sure to keep their beer mugs full and to bend over a lot to show off.

"They're nice," Dean whispered to Seth when one girl made it a point to pour Dean's beer into his mug and to lean over so Dean had a perfect view all the way down to her nipples. "But they aren't as nice as Cinnamon's."

Considering Dean's former nickname was "Titty Master" and Cinnamon was not the most amply endowed woman, Seth found the remark rather sweet. He looked at his friend and grinned, realizing that Dean had done a lot of growing up and calming down since Cinnamon and Neil had come into his life. He thought Dean might be exaggerating, though, just a bit, until he thought about Kayla, breasts and all and realize that it didn't matter how pretty these girls were, none of them could hold a candle to Kayla. Kayla had a beauty that started with her face, her body, her hair, but it grew stronger and stronger the more you got to know her. Kayla was beautiful, smart, and caring. Kayla was willing to give up her dream wedding because she knew that the important thing was that they get Payton. That they become a family.

 _You and me, and Payton makes three_ , he thought, twisting the lyrics of a Robin Thicke song for his own purpose. And at that moment, he wondered what they were doing. According to Cinnamon, the plan for the women was pizza delivery and a night of Netflix. While Seth was pretty sure they'd be watching chick flicks all night, part of him yearned to be there with them, his arm around Kayla, while Payton cuddle between them.

Having the bachelor night meant that Seth hadn't really seen much of how the yard was to be fixed up for this wedding, so he had to admit he was curious as he walked out with Roman, blinking at first because the sun was so bright after the dimness of the shed. When his eyes adjusted he looked around and blinked again.

The back yard was full of people, ranging in ages from babies in arms to elderly folks. Over a hundred folding chairs had been set up for this, and even with that, there was still not enough seats. When they left the shed, a few of the younger wrestlers climbed up onto the roof of the shed, so they could watch the ceremony and not take up any of the seats. The yards on either side of the house were in service too, one of them belonging to the Williams, an older couple who looked after Neil as if he were a grandson. The yard on the other side belonged to the Karume family, whose son, Ka'eo had babysat for Neil quite a few times in the past. Dean had mentioned something about how all three properties were in need of new fencing, so when it was realized more space was needed for this wedding, Dean offered to pay for all three properties to get new fencing if they would allow Dean and Neil to knock down the fencing between the properties and use their back yards. Both families agreed, but the Karume family added a stipulation that Dean could provide the fencing and Ka'eo and his cousin Makaio would help do the labor of installing it. The deal was struck and all parties seemed satisfied.

In the Williams yard there were tables and chair set up, along with several BBQ grills, that had arrived with the catering company, an outfit called BBQ Bob's. On the Karume's yard, a raised platform of wooden boards was set up to form a makeshift dance floor and a DJ booth was set up too. The DJ who worked for WVW was going to act as DJ for the reception too as well as playing the music needed for the ceremony. Folding tables had been set up to form a bar, stocked with plenty of alcohol. Around the "bar" were large trash cans filled with ice, some containing beer, others containing soda, juice, and other kid friendly beverages. If that wasn't enough, several kegs of beer were resting in plastic keg tubs, also filled with ice. On three big tables near the beer, were reusable ceramic cups, designed to look just like solo cups, in different colors. Every one of them had the name of an invited guest painted on them.

"Wedding favors," Dean said, noticing Seth looking in that direction. "Isn't it great? This way we're not going through millions of plastic cups. It was Cinnamon's idea."

While it wasn't the sort of wedding favor Seth would have imagined ever having at his wedding, he had to admit, it fit this one perfectly. And, he had to appreciate that Cinnamon was doing her part for the environment as well, as hopefully, the guests would take the cups home and continue to use them.  And even if they didn't, if they were made of the right type of ceramics, they were still earth friendly, even if all that happened is they were only used this one night. 

Seth thought that the yards looked all set up for a great _party,_ but they didn't look set up for a _wedding_. In fact, the only way Seth would have known it was a wedding, besides that he was in it, was that there were a lot of white and silver balloons and streamers decorating the place, and that the guests were dressed rather nicely for a back yard BBQ. And the back yard was packed with guests. Seth knew a few of these people, but most of them were here for Cinnamon and Dean. He felt strangely uncomfortable suddenly, as if he were crashing the party.

"Dean, are you sure?" he whispered as they headed through the crowd. "Everyone is here for you and Cinnamon, I feel like Kayla and I are interlopers. We can just bow out of the ceremony and enjoy watching you get married, then fly on to Vegas later."

"Not a chance," Dean said, shaking his head. "You're my brother. Besides, don't look at this as a yard full of strangers, look at it as a yard full of fans who've been lucky enough to be able to share you special day with you."

"Too late to back out now!" Roman quipped as he lead them through the crowd to the wrestling ring.

When they got to the ring, Dean climbed up and inside. The ring wasn't as high as a normal ring, so there was only one step to get up there. Seth, however, just stopped and stared for a moment. _This is where I will pledge the rest of my life to the woman I love_ , he thought, then his brain added one more word; _wow._

The ring was a well made backyard wrestling ring, and obviously people had been working to try to make it festive. The normal blue gym mat on the bottom had been covered with a white fabric of some type. The green garden hose that normally covered the ropes, for added protection had been replace with silver garden hose on the top and bottom rope, white in the middle. Seth had seen white hoses before, but never silver and he wondered if they had been spray painted. And on each turnbuckle were tied three balloons, two white, one silver. "See?" Dean said, pointing to the turnbuckles as Seth shook his head and climbed into the ring. "Simple. _Classy."_

Seth stared at Dean, wondering if he really meant what he said. But Dean was grinning, and it was hard to tell. "It's-it's," Seth said, shaking his head. "It's really _something_ , Dean."

"Isn't it?" Dean said, laughing. "I'll bet you never thought you'd have a wedding like this, did you?"

"Not in a billion years," Seth said, completely honestly.

The Justice of the Peace was a tall man who was also looking around the wrestling ring as if he wasn't quite sure if he was in the right place himself. But he smiled at Seth, Dean, and Roman. "So, you two are the grooms," he said, pointing to Seth and Dean, "And you are the best man, right?" he pointed to Roman.

"Guilty as charged," Roman said, grinning. "And don't worry, I've got the rings."

"Good job." The JP held out his hand to Seth. "Noah Walker."

"He's Dan's brother," Dean said, as Seth and Noah shook hands. "Dan works with Cinnamon, he explained as he realized Seth had never met Dan.

"Roman Reigns," Roman said, holding out his own hand and letting him shake it.

"Look, sorry we couldn't do a walk through of this yesterday," Noah said, apologetically. "I just got tied up. But, I think we can pull this off just fine. At the right moment, you say 'I do' or 'I will.' It's pretty easy."

"I think we can handle it," Dean said.

"Good, I already talked to the women," Noah said. "They're set too. So, if you're ready, we can get this show on the road, does that sound good?" When Seth and Dean nodded, Noah looked over at the screened in porch, where Jessica was waiting for a signal. When she saw Noah nod, she disappeared into the house to make sure everyone inside was ready.

"Okay," Roman said. "I got you two to the ring, you can't chicken out, now I've got to go and walk the matron of honor to her place," and with that, he left the ring and headed for the porch.

The wedding was a little lopsided on the female to male ratio, but they had worked it out. When the music started, (and Seth was relieved to hear it was Jesu Joy of Man's Desiring, a traditional processional song, rather than something like Nick Lowe's " _I Knew The Bride (When She Used To Rock And Roll)_ which wasn't a bad song for an oldie, but not something he figured Kayla would ever dream of having at her wedding) Roman came out first with Jessica on one arm and Leah on the other. He walked them up to the ring and like a true gentleman, held the ropes open for them. They both climbed into the ring. Behind them came Jasper Coleman, with Payton. Leah and Payton wore identical long dresses of the palest pink and their hair was decorated with a simple ring of daisies. When Payton saw Seth, she grinned and waved, much to the amusement of everyone in the audience. When Jasper held the ropes open for her, she climbed in eagerly and walked right over to Seth and gave him a hug. Proper or not, Seth hugged her right back. He hadn't seen her for almost twenty four hours, if the audience didn't like it, tough. But, the audience didn't object at all, instead there were a lot of "Awww!" that could be heard.

Then the music changed. Seth had been expecting to hear the traditional, "Here Comes the Bride," but to his surprise, the music changed to something much more modern, although still considered to be "oldies." Seth knew he had heard the song before, but he couldn't place it until the singing started, then he recognized it instantly. Follow you, Follow Me, by Genesis.

_Stay with me,_   
_My love I hope you'll always be_   
_Right here by my side if ever I need you_   
_Oh my love_

The door to the porch had been propped open, and as Seth watched, Cinnamon and Kayla stepped out onto the stairs leading down to the back yard, Neil in the middle. Cinnamon's copper colored hair was hanging loose, going down to her waist, the only style a wreath of daisies, similar to what Payton and Leah wore in their hair. She was wearing an ivory lace dress that looked as if it had come right out of the '70s. It was exactly the type of dress you would expect to see Cinnamon in.

_In your arms,_   
_I feel so safe and so secure_   
_Everyday is such a perfect day to spend_   
_Alone with you_

Then, Seth saw Kayla and his breath caught in his throat. He knew that she and Cinnamon did some quick emergency shopping yesterday to get her a dress, but as they had flown out, Kayla was pretty skeptical that she would be able to find a wedding dress that would fit her and fit in with the wedding. Those fears were unfounded. Kayla's dress was a simple white dress purer in color than Cinnamon's, but with Kayla's darker complexion and hair color, she could get away with wearing pure white. It was not a traditional wedding dress, but it was strapless and fitted at the top down to the waist, but then fell into a soft, loose, floor length skirt. It had no seed pearls, no lace, nothing to adorn it, but it didn't need any embellishments and the very lack of them only served to make Kayla look even more beautiful. Like Cinnamon, she had chosen to wear her hair down, but unlike Cinnamon, her hair fell in a mass of curls and waves that fell about her shoulders, around her face, framing it perfectly. She too, had flowers in her hair and both women carried bouquets of simple seasonal flowers.

_I will follow you will you follow me_   
_All the days and nights that we know will be_   
_I will stay with you will you stay with me_   
_Just one single tear in each passing year_

Everyone sitting in the folding chairs had risen to their feet and several of them were swaying with the music, hardly aware they were doing it. Seth didn't see it though, he was too busy looking at Kayla, who was looking at him and Payton, who had moved closer to him, seeming to forget she was supposed to stay on the bride's side of the ring.

_With the dark,_   
_Oh I see so very clearly now_   
_All my fears are drifting by me so slowly now_   
_Fading away_

Seth heard a soft "Whoa!" next to him, and knew it was Dean and that he was watching Cinnamon and Neil approach, unable to take his gaze off either them. Which was good too. It wasn't that long ago that Dean was the confirmed bachelor party animal and Seth was the man who was engaged, but never seemed to get around to fixing a date, because things had to be perfect. Until Payton. The little girl with the gold-to-chocolate colored eyes and the soft brown hair, who used to sit in corners as if trying not to be seen, but now ran for hugs whenever she saw him. The child both he and Kayla had fallen in love with as if she were of their flesh and blood. This wasn't the wedding Seth and Kayla had dreamed of, but it _was_ the wedding of their dreams.

_I can say_   
_The night is long but you are here_   
_Close at hand, oh I'm better for the smile you give_   
_And while I live_

_I will follow you will you follow me_   
_All the days and nights that we know will be_   
_I will stay with you will you stay with me_   
_Just one single tear in each passing year there will be_

And like a proper gentleman, Neil held the ropes open for both the brides, letting them enter the ring first, before following behind them. When all three were inside the ropes, Cinnamon and Kayla linked arms with him again and they walked up to where everyone was. Noah smiled at the boy and said in a clear voice, "Who gives these women?"

"I do," Neil said, then frowned and continued, "well, my mom, I do. I can't really answer for Kayla, because she's not my mom or nothing. She's my aunt. Can I give away my aunt? Is that cool?"

Laughter broke out in the audience, but Noah, to give him credit, kept a serious expression on his face. "Of course you may."

"Then I guess I give both of them," Neil said, ignoring the laughter from the guests. He took his mother's hand and his father's hand and put them together. Then he did the same for Kayla and Seth. But instead of sitting down, he stayed in the ring, going over to the Groom's side, as had been agreed upon earlier.

"Ladies and gentlemen, we have gathered here to witness the union of two couples today, Dean Ambrose to Cinnamon Nolan and Seth Rollins to Kayla Springer. If anyone here has any reason why these couples may not be wed, speak now, or forever hold your peace."

As if on cue, Cinnamon turned and fixed a look at the wrestlers on the roof of the shed as if she expected them to object, just to stir trouble, which brought a few giggles from the audience, but the young men remained silent. One of them waved at her, which made the others hide snorts of laughter behind their hands.

Noah spoke briefly of love and the responsibilities of marriage, nothing too preachy, but sweet and sentimental. Then, he got right to the vows, first to Cinnamon and Dean, then to Seth and Kayla. All four said what was needed and when it was over, Noah smiled. "Gentlemen," he announced. "You may kiss your brides."

As if on cue, the wrestlers began chanting, one half chanting, "Let's go _Ambrose!"_ followed by the other half saying, "Let's go _Rollins!"_ Which made Seth want to laugh, but then he gathered Kayla into his arms and kissed her, just as Dean was kissing Cinnamon and there was something so sweet and right about it, that he could have kissed her like this for hours, but the thunderous cheers reminded him that they had an awful lot of witnesses to this first kiss of man and wife.

When the kiss was over and the couples drew apart, Noah walked forward and raised Seth's and Dean's arms in the air, as if they had won some type of match, something Seth was sure he didn't do at every wedding. "Ladies and Gentlemen, may I present to you, Dean and Cinnamon Ambrose and Seth and Kayla Rollins!"

The cheers, which were loud when they had kissed, were now almost deafening.

 

* * *

 

The reception was a party to end all parties. Enormous amounts of meat and other BBQ foods were served, along with copious amounts of alcohol and while Seth didn't get wasted, he had a pretty good buzz by the time the sun was going down. This meant he was a lot more willing to dance, which was something Kayla loved, but he wasn't too crazy about. But, as they swayed together to some slow, romantic song, Seth realized that this dancing thing had its advantages.

"Excuse me?"

Seth and Kayla looked down to see Payton standing there, looking at the two of them. Much to Seth's relief, she had spent most of the wedding running around with Leah, Neil, and the other kids there, having a wonderful time. It wasn't that Seth didn't want to be with her, but it seemed so normal compared to the clinging she had been doing to him since Myron and Andrea had died. He knew that tomorrow she might go back to being the same frustrated child who didn't want to be too far away from him at any time, but for today? She had been a normal child. Seth smiled seeing her. "Yes?"

Payton looked at Kayla. "Would you mind if I danced with Uncle Seth?" she asked.

Kayla smiled at her. "I have a thought, why don't all three of us dance?"

Both Seth and Payton looked at her with surprised expressions. "Can we _do_ that?" Payton asked, looking a little skeptical.

"Of course we can," Kayla said, and she wrapped one arm around Payton, keeping the other one around Seth. Seth followed suit, wrapping an arm around Payton and keeping the other around Kayla. Payton put one arm around each of them, and they moved together in a way that might have been seen as dancing, but more likely looked like a group hug to music.

After awhile, Payton looked up, her gaze alternating between the two of them. "So," she said, "What happens now?"

"What do you mean?" Seth asked.

"You guys are married," Payton explained. "So, like you'll have babies, right?"

"Some day," Kayla said. "Not right away. But when we do, I know you'll make a wonderful big sister, just like you did for Preston."

At the mention of Preston's name, Payton's eyes flickered briefly, but she smiled too, as if Kayla's answer pleased her. S _he needs to know we aren't going to abandon her in favor of biological children_ , Seth thought. "Pay, remember what I told you about chosen family?"

Payton's brows furrowed, then she smiled. "Chosen family never wants to see you hurting or unhappy," she said.

"Yep, and even though we're going to court to make this all legal, so you'll be our daughter, just as if you were born to us, never forget that we chose to be family." Seth smiled down at her as she looked up at him, her eyes glowing and he realized she fully believed him. And even though part of him wasn't sure he wanted to admit it, he knew, deep down, that no matter how many kids he and Kayla had, this little girl would always be a tiny bit closer to him than they would. They would never know it, but deep down, _she_ would. And that was okay. She had spent most of her life being second fiddle to a sibling, it was okay for her to be the favored child, even if it was only by a fraction.

"Okay," Payton said. "But what happens next?"

He knew she was wondering about court and all that was ahead of them in getting her adopted. He looked over at Kayla who realized the same thing, and they both knew that the day was coming when they would have to sit her down and explain things clearly, prepare her for visits from Social workers and going to court and all the trouble and discomfort this might cause her.

But not tonight. For tonight was about being married and being a family. Tonight was not a night for worries and concerns, it was a night for being with family and friends, both old and new, as they had met a lot of wonderful people tonight. It was a night for BBQ and dancing.

"What happens next is that we do our best to follow the fairy tale," Kayla said. "We try to live happily ever after."

Payton frowned. "Fairy tales aren't real," she said slowly, "no one ever lives happily ever after."

"True," Kayla said, pulling the three of them closer, "But that doesn't mean we should stop trying."

_End of Chapter Twenty-Two_


	23. Chapter 23

One of the first things Seth and Kayla did when they flew home after the wedding was to call Bethany Laughlin and tell her that they had gotten married, which Bethany approved of greatly. Seth had to fly Monday to film Raw and Smackdown, but he was home Wednesday. For the rest of that week, they fixed everything in the house on Bethany's list of potential problems.

At first the process of being approved for foster parents was merely annoying. The social/case worker assigned to them, Gina Picard, was heavy into making an appointment for one time, but showing up at another, earlier time, as if she was trying desperately to catch them doing something wrong. She set Seth's teeth on edge, because he just had this feeling that this woman wanted them to fail, but he couldn't say that to her. He did express his frustrations to Bethany, who sympathized, but told him there wasn't much she could do.

"You're our lawyer on this," Seth argued. They were in her office, a relatively small place in an older office building. Seth had arranged the appointment during a time he normally went to Crossfit, so as not to worry Payton, who seemed to be finding anything "official" about this whole procedure distressing. "Can't you be there when she comes over?"

"You're not on trial," Bethany said, smiling. "It would look funny to have your lawyer there."

"I feel like I am," Seth said, signing. "She asks questions about where I worked and when, over and over again, like she's trying to trip us up. Kayla and I both got confused about exactly what dates I worked for ROH, and she got all over us on that. We gave her the time line we'd had to submit, and that information was completely accurate, checked, and double checked..." he shrugged helplessly, "It's like she wanted us to fail."

"It sounds like you have a tough one," Bethany said, sounding sympathetic. "It happens."

"What do we do?" Seth wanted to know. "We _can't_ fail at this. We just _can't."_

"I know you love Payton very much," Bethany said, "And I'll do what I can, but on this, you have to just bear it out. Don't lose your cool. If you really feel she's being unfair, you can call social services and ask for another caseworker."

"Will that work?"

Bethany shrugged. "I'll be honest, it could delay the process even more. You'll be starting from square one again, and they will think it odd. Your current caseworker won't admit to being unfair, she'll say that you are requesting another caseworker because you're likely to be hiding something. Let's put it this way, it won't do much good to you."

* * *

 

Seth decided to stick with the current social worker and to do his best to get along with her. And he really did try, as well as Kayla, but it was hard when he felt like she wanted desperately to find something wrong with them as a family. She expressed a lot of problems with Seth's away schedule and was barely mollified when he explained that he knew from other members of the WWE that it was possible to be a family while on the road so much of the time. This wasn't the days of long distant phone calls being twenty-five cents a minute, this was the days of Skype, instant chatting, and phone calls being no more than your monthly cell phone charges and you could talk as long as you wanted.

"That's fine and good," was Gina's response, "But sometimes a child needs a hug, not a face on a computer screen. What then?"

Kayla's assurance that she would be a full time parent did little to assuage Gina's fears. "There will be times when you need a break too. Everyone needs a break from parenting. What do you do then? It isn't like you can ask your husband to keep an eye on her while she goes to the store."

"She'll be in school soon," Kayla said. "She'll be gone six hours a day, five days a week, we'll be fine."

"Still, you're young, what if you want to go out with your girlfriends, party and have a girl's night out?"

"That is not likely to happen," Kayla said flatly. "I rarely go out and party, as you say. My idea of a good girl's night is to have my friends over, have some pizza and watch some movies. Yes, I love going out and dancing once in awhile with my friends, but you know, parents all over the world adjust to that. We will too."

Then, if _that_ wasn't bad enough, along came the part of the process where they talked to family and friends. In Kayla's case it was easy, she had made a life in Davenport, so finding her friends was a simple matter. And even though her parents lived in New England, they were retired and always available for a phone call. The neighbors knew Kayla too. Seth on the other hand, was another matter. The neighbors more knew of him, than knew him. With the extra time off he was taking, they did see him more often, taking walks or riding bikes with Payton, Kayla or both, and he did stop and chat with them, but the relationships Kayla had forged with them took years.

This meant that they were calling members of the WWE for references, which meant that his friends were getting phone calls from Gina, who wanted big blocks of time and didn't like hearing that she would have to work around their schedules.

Stephanie and Hunter were called as his employers and they let him know when it happened. They didn't discuss what they had told Gina, but Seth wasn't worried. Seth wasn't even that worried about what Roman would say, he was pretty sure Roman would talk about how good Seth was with his daughter and what a stand up guy Seth was.

Dean, however, was another matter and when Dean told him in catering one day, that he'd spent a couple hours on the phone talking with Gina Picard, Seth felt his stomach lurch. It wasn't that he felt Dean would deliberately sabotage his chances, it was more that Dean sometimes said things to be funny, at times when humor was the last thing he should do.

"What did you say?" Seth asked, trying not to sound nervous.

"She asked me if I knew you and I said, 'Seth who?'" Dean grinned. Roman gave a snort of laughter which he quickly suppressed.

Seth shook his head, "Dean-" he began.

"Relax!" Dean said, still sporting that crazy, happy, grin. "No, I said I knew you."

"And then what?" Seth asked, afraid of the answer. Dean was so clearly in one of his jovial moods, who knows what he had said to Gina while attempting to be funny. Gina had no sense of humor, Seth was convinced of that. He was also pretty sure she lived in a lair instead of a house and fed on the laughter and drank from the tears of little children to sustain herself, but he might have been a bit too judgmental on that.

"I told her that you were a great guy to work with when you were sober," Dean said, cheerfully. "Which is true. I mean, I've only worked with you when you were sober, so yeah, I didn't lie. I don't know what it's like to work with you when you're drunk, but I can see you being hard to work with then."

"Dean-" Seth began.

"-She didn't ask me if I'd ever worked with you drunk," Dean continued, as he chewed thoughtfully on a forkful of chicken and pasta, "which kind of surprised me. But, I figured if she's cool with it, I am too. Then I told her about the time we all played Capture the Flag in the boiler room alone with-" He stopped speaking abruptly, his eyes wide. "Oh shit, I wasn't supposed to mention that was I?" He shook his head and slapped himself in the forehead. "Bad, Dean, Bad! Gesh, the one thing you tell me not to talk about and it's like I have to talk about it! Shit!"

Seth felt like someone had punched him in the chest, several times, while wearing an iron glove. He was on enough pins and needles over this, he didn't need joking Dean. "You didn't," he whispered, "you didn't." If he had looked over at Roman, he would have seen he was shaking his head and trying not to laugh.

"No," The grin faded from Dean's face to be replaced by a normal smile. "I told him that you were a hard worker and a great guy. I also told him that I think you, Kayla and Payton make a really good family, and if she was smart, she'd get the ball rolling so she could spend her time on kids that really do need someone to find them a good family."

Seth knew he was serious on that, especially the last part. "What did she say?" he asked.

Dean shrugged. "She said that rules were rules and she had to do a complete evaluation. She seemed pretty cool actually. Is she hot?"

Seth looked a him. "Why do you care? You're married."

"Married, not dead," Dean said. "You mentioned once that your lawyer was a hottie, so I'm wondering if your caseworker is."

"I never said Bethany Laughlin was a hottie," Seth protested.

"Yes you did!" Dean said, taking another forkful of chicken.

"No, I didn't!"

"Yes and no," Roman interrupted. "You didn't say the words, 'My lawyer is a hottie,' What you _did_ say was that your lawyer looked like a college cheerleader. It's pretty safe to assume she must be pretty hot."

"Well, she is," Seth admitted. "Bethany Laughlin is hot, but I don't care about that, I care that she's a good lawyer, which she seems to be."

"Okay, so what about Gina?" Dean asked, "Is she hot too?"

"I guess," Seth said slowly, then shook his head realizing he was with his friends, Gina wasn't here to hear him. "No, not really. She's kinda chubby, which doesn't matter too much, I guess. She's one of those women who'd look weird if she was stick thin, if you know what I mean. She has a good sized rack, which is nice, I guess. But her face looks..." he hesitated to find the words he wanted, debating if he should try to be nice, then deciding to hell with it and being honest. "Mean," he finally said. "She looks like she's dealt with so much shit in her life that it's rubbed off on her and she's convinced that everyone is a douche bag." He sighed. "I just get the feeling with her that she feels that she knows deep down that I'm an evil child molester, but she just can't prove it." He pushed his tray out of the way. "Sorry guys, I shouldn't be complaining like this."

"How should you complain then?" Roman asked, tipping his head to one side to study him a faint grin on his face.

"Oh, I know!" Dean said, "He should complain like this!" Before anyone could stop him, he began speaking in a fantastic imitation of Dusty Rhodes. "Gina put me through hard times! I work my job, I work it hard, but Gina put me through hard times! Won' let me adopt Payton, she say I not worthy! Of course I'm worthy. I work hard, I'm worthy!"

Roman laughed. "Or, maybe he could complain like Randy Savage!" He shook his head, as if clearing out Roman Reigns and inviting the spirit of Randy Savage into his body. "Gina Picard, I'm watching out for you, you think you're gonna keep me from Payton? Well think again, cause Seth Rollins is on a roll and ain't no stopping him, ooooooh yeah!"

"How about Punk?" Dean suggested, then started into an imitation of CM Punk, "The problem with you, Gina, is you're so stupid, you don't even see greatness in front of you. You think you know what's best for Payton, you don't know anything. _You_ wouldn't know greatness if it bit you on your fat, lazy, ass. I am The Best Father In The World and you should give me the respect and the daughter, I deserve!"

"Paul Bearer!" Roman exclaimed, then started rubbing his hands together, "Oooooh Ginnnnaaaa! You did it now! You can't keep me from Payton! I'll get the Undertaker-"

"-All right, all right!" Seth almost shouted to be heard, but he was laughing too. "Guys, I get it!"

"Do you?" Roman asked in his normal voice. "Seriously, do you? Because we're saying that we're your friends, you have the right to complain to us, however you want."

"Yeah," Dean agreed. "This can't be easy. I mean, I gave Gina a glowing report on you, but some of the questions she asked were a little... uncomfortable, to say the least."

"Oh?" Seth looked at him, worried.

"Nothing I couldn't handle," Dean assured him. "Mostly I told her that you having custody of Payton was what was best for you, Kayla, and Payton. That the three of you worked as a family. I wanted to say that you were a much better family than she was born with, but I wasn't sure that was cool. But I said the three of you looked happy together and that I thought Payton's best shot at getting over losing her whole family so quickly was being with you and Kayla."

"Look," Roman said, putting his arm on Seth's shoulder. "This has got to be the roughest thing to go through ever. I mean, I think about Leah and there were a few times when I worried that Jessica and I might not make it, but even then I knew that Leah would always be a part of my life. In your case, you know Payton is meant to be yours. I mean, some folks might say it's blasphemous, but the best way I can describe it is that it's like Payton should have been yours and Kayla's daughter, but something happened, I don't know what, maybe there was a mix up where the souls come from, but it's like God/Fate/whatever, gave her to the Caldwells because they couldn't get her to you. But now it's like fate is trying to correct itself." Roman signed. "I'm probably explaining this wrong."

"No, I get it," Dean said, nodding. "Remember when we all played Nerf?"

"We're not supposed to remember that," Seth said, trying not to sound bitter.

"Bullshit," Dean said, grinning. "We can't forget. But anyway, the way you were with Payton? The way you explained the game to her and watched out for her, the way she instinctively trusted you, yeah, that wasn't normal for her. I get the feeling that Payton doesn't trust a lot of people, but she trusted you on instinct. And on instinct you knew she needed a father and that the best man for the job was you."

"Yeah," Roman said, nodding. "It's like there was some imbalance going on in the world, and when you and Payton met, it started righting itself again."

Seth looked at these two men, his best friends and brothers by choice. He knew that not too long ago, if they had talked like this, he would have thought they were speaking some strange brand of new-age crazy, but now, he could actually get what they meant. "Yeah," he said slowly. "I get it. But the problem is that I don't think the state does."

"Of course not," Dean said, scornfully. "Courts and states don't get that crap, and maybe it's better they don't. They can't feel your heart, they don't know your heart. They know facts. They need to weigh facts and determine if Payton belongs with you."

"What if-" Seth began, then stopped, not wanting to say it, but wanting to hear what they would say when they heard it. "What if," he began again, stopped again, drew in a deep breath and blurted it out," What-if-they-don't-see-it-that-way? What if they conclude she doesn't belong with us? Then what?"

"It won't happen," Roman said firmly. "They'll play the red tape game as much as they can, but fate, God, Karma, whatever you want to call it, isn't going to let this mistake keep playing out. Payton will end up with you and Kayla, one way or another."

Dean nodded.

Seth wished he could feel so confident.

* * *

 

When the home study was done, there were psychological tests all three of them had to undergo. After that were endless questions asked of Kayla and Seth, both together and separately. Some of the questions, such as did Kayla and Seth believe that children should have set bedtimes at night, made perfect sense. Others were ridiculous, such as "were you spanked as a child." Of course they had been spanked as children, it was common place then. But neither of them considered themselves abused kids.

"Do you believe in spanking?" came next.

That was more understandable. "No," Seth said, and Kayla nodded right along with him.

The court psychologist looked at both of them, if trying to read them to see if they were giving the real answer or the answer they thought he wanted to hear. "I have a son," he said. "He's seven. When he was three, he developed an unhealthy fascination with the stove. We tried to explain to him that the stove was not a toy, but he was very young and very stubborn. It seemed that the more we tried to keep him from the stove, the more he sought it out. One day he reached out to touch the burners when they were on and my wife slapped his hand away. Do you think she was right?"

Seth frowned, wondering if this was a trick question.

"Yes," Kayla said, slowly. "Because better a slapped hand than third degree burns. Obviously, your son was too young to understand what you were saying, she had to show him that touching the stove meant pain. I'm sure she would have much rather the talks and the warnings worked, but they didn't. It was a case of desperate situations call for desperate actions."

"What does it _matter?"_ Seth said, frowning. "Payton isn't three. We can reason with her. She's not going to touch the stove, she's not stupid. If she did touch the stove, it would be an accident and in that case, we treat the burn."

Seth left that session feeling like they had failed.

But, they must not have done too badly, because they were granted the right to be Payton's foster parents. A battle won, which the three of them were happy about, but sadly, it was only a battle, not the war. The next was the adoption process, which Bethany Laughlin could be much more involved in, but was a game of hurry up and wait, please.

There were more visits from Gina and other social workers, more interviews to be conducted. Seth, Kayla and Payton learned that the wheels of the system barely moved at times. Seth and Kayla had a hard time coping with this, but to Payton it was torture. Seth and Kayla tried constantly to reassure her that everything was fine, but she wasn't a stupid child, she knew her future was uncertain.


	24. Chapter 24

The courts did not appoint a guardian ad litem for Payton, which Bethany considered a bonus, and so Seth and Kayla did as well, but that didn't stop the investigations. More talks with social workers, more talks with court appointed psychologists.

"Why?" Seth almost demanded of Bethany when he was talking to her on the phone after picking up Payton from one of her appointments with the court psychologist. She had sobbed all the way home, unable to talk to either Seth or Kayla, instead running to her room and locking the door.

At first Seth had tried calling into her, but Payton refused to respond. Finally, frustrated and afraid, he had climbed up one of the porch pillars, and onto the back porch roof, which was right under her bathroom window. The window was unlocked and he raised the screen and opened it calling out to her, "Payton!"

Silence. He looked at the window. It was a small window, probably a little less than half of normal size, only big enough to let in some light and air, he wasn't sure he could get through it at all. "Payton!" he called again, "Payton, I want to talk to you!"

Just as he was about to climb down, get the ladder and try one of her bedroom windows, she came into the bathroom and stared at him. "What are you doing?" she asked, looking shocked.

"I want to talk to you!" he said, feeling suddenly stupid that he had gone to all this bother. "I was knocking on your door and you wouldn't answer."

Her face was swollen with tears, her hair a mess, but she smiled. It was a weak, watery smile, but it was still a smile. "You climbed on the roof to talk to me?"

"Yes!" he said, nodding. "Pay, I'm worried about you."

"Why didn't you bust open the door?" she asked him, then added, "You're strong."

"Uh... because they're pretty solid doors," Seth said, thinking quickly because now that she said it, he wondered the same thing, why didn't he bust open the door? Or at least threaten to if she didn't open up. "I didn't want to hurt my shoulder. Pay, will you talk to me?"

"On the roof?" she asked, "Because you're not going to fit in that window."

"No, how about if I climb down from the roof. Will you talk to me, then? Please?"

"Okay." She sounded a little hesitant, but more surprised than upset.

They sat in the backyard together, on the flagstone patio at the outdoor table, Kayla joining them. In a strained voice, Payton told them she was scared the courts wouldn't let her be adopted by Seth and Kayla because she had accidentally told the doctor that her parents didn't love her like they did Preston.

"Did you feel that was the truth," Seth asked carefully. They avoided discussing that elephant in the room, the obvious favoritism shown to Preston over Payton, never disagreeing with Payton when she mentioned it, but never agreeing either. Seth wondered if they would avoid this all their lives. How do you agree with a child that her parents didn't love her as much as they loved your dead brother? That your parents might have killed themselves rather than face a life with you as their only child?

Payton nodded, looking miserable. "It is the truth," she insisted stubbornly.

"Then you did the right thing," Seth said. "We told you that you are to be honest with the doctor, that's all we want you to do." Kayla nodded in agreement with him.

"No," Payton said, shaking her head. "I should have lied because of the _paper!"_

"What paper?" Kayla asked, her voice gentle.

"The one my parent signed." Payton's voice had taken on a whining tone that Seth knew was because she was frustrated at not having the words she wanted to explain this. "The one that said you an' Uncle Seth could take care of me!"

"What does the paper have to do with this?" Seth asked, although part of him was afraid he knew what she meant. The paper giving Kayla and Seth temporary custody of Payton had been a huge factor in the courts granting them, at least temporary custody of Payton. They hadn't deliberately told her that, but it had been mentioned to her and she must have understood more than they gave her credit for.

"They said the paper was like Mom and Dad's... bill," Payton said.

"Will?" Kayla suggested instead.

"Yeah, will." Payton nodded. "That Mom and Dad felt that what was best for me was to be with you! But I told the doctor that they didn't love me like they loved Preston. I'm scared the doctor is gonna think they _didn't_ want what was best for me, that they gave you custody of me because they didn't love me." She burst into tears and buried her head in her arms. "I'm sick of this!" she wailed. "I don't like this! I just wanna live with both of you and be normal! I don't like all this attention!"

Seth had gone over to where she was sitting and gathered her in his arms, then sat back down, holding her, just letting her cry, knowing there was nothing he could say right now to help, all he could do was hold her. Kayla leaned over and patted her on the back, letting her sob.

But when the tears were spent and she had calmed down enough to help Kayla with dinner, Seth had stayed on the patio and called Bethany, not caring that it was evening, not caring that she had said he should only call her personal cell phone if it was an emergency. This was an emergency, damn it.

"Yes, Seth," she said as she answered, obviously seeing who it was on the caller ID. She had his "Fake name" number he used, but she knew it was him. "Is everything okay?"

"No," he said, telling himself to stay calm, that this wasn't Bethany's fault. "Everything is _not_ okay. Payton was in hysterics today after her appointment with the court psychiatrist. Apparently, she told him that her parents didn't love her as much as they loved Preston, which is the truth, but she's terrified the courts will now think her parents only allowed Kayla and I to have custody of her because they didn't want what was best for her."

"Poor kid," Bethany said, her voice soft and sympathetic. Seth could hear the sounds of water running in the background and the sound of cutlery clinking together and figured out she was washing the dishes. "Is she okay now?"

"Yes, I guess," Seth said. "But Bethany, why? Why does she have to go to this doctor? No matter how many times we tell her it's okay, she can't do anything wrong as long as she's honest, she isn't buying it. She's terrified she'll say something wrong and that will get her removed from us." A dead brown leaf from a nearby tree blew onto the table. Seth grabbed it and crunched it in his hand, enjoying the feeling of it breaking into tiny fragments. "The courts are supposed to be looking out for her best interest, so tell me, how can her being stressed out and crying be in her best interest? We've been through this for the foster parenting. Why do we have to go through it again for the adoption? And why are the questions for Payton more upsetting?"

Bethany sighed. "The problem is that you becoming foster parents was just about making sure you had a stable home to bring a child into." Seth could hear her walking across a hard surface floor and knew she was leaving the kitchen. "Now what needs to be determined is if Payton is the child you should have. Will it be in Payton's best interest and yours, that she becomes your daughter." She paused for a moment, and Seth heard what sounded like someone saying "Marf!" and Bethany made one of those clicking noises with her tongue and teeth. "Sorry," she finally said. "Beauregard jumped in my lap."

"Beauregard?" Seth repeated.

"My cat," Bethany explained. "Anyway, the courts want to make sure you and Payton are the right fit. Because yes, this might be stressful, but the courts worry that you giving her up or her having to be removed from your custody because you can't handle her would be far worse. They want to make sure this will be permanent."

"We're not giving her up!" Seth protested, his voice louder than he knew it should be. "She's our daughter. Maybe all this crap is the legal way, but Kayla and I accepted her as our daughter a long time ago. This is just... stupid formality for the sake of red tape!"

"I know it seems that way," Bethany said, and Seth could hear a faint rumbling, which he realized was likely Beauregard's purring. "But, again, this is all supposed to be in everyone's best interests."

_"Really?"_ Seth asked, wiping his hands on his jeans to get rid of the leaf bits still clinging to his palms. "It's in Payton's best interests to be scared that anything she says will result in her being removed from the home and the people she loves? Is it in her best interests for her to cry and lock herself in her room after one of these visits to the doctor?" Before he could stop himself, he added, "is it in Payton's best interests for me to climb onto the roof to see if I could crawl through her bathroom window to make sure she was all right."

"I know-" Bethany began, then stopped. "Wait a moment, what was that last one?"

Seth sighed knowing he'd been caught. "Was it in Payton's best interests that I climbed on the roof to see if I could go through her bathroom window to get to her," he muttered, then added, "I didn't actually do it, I called to her and she came to the window and we talked and she agreed to talk with Kayla and I on the patio."

"Why didn't you tell her she had until the count of ten to open the door or you would break it down?" Bethany asked and Seth could hear the amusement in her voice. Even the cat's rumbling seemed to sound louder as if he were chucking over this too.

"That's what she said," Seth mumbled. "I didn't think, I was worried. Was it the wrong thing to do?"

"Maybe," Bethany said. "But, I don't think you meant it wrong, I think you were worried. In the future? Make sure she can't lock her door. Tell her you will always respect her privacy and never enter without knocking and waiting for her reply to say it's all right, but unless she's got a lock you can quickly work around, don't let her lock her door. What if there was a fire and she was sound asleep?"

"Oh, crap," Seth groaned. "We never fixed that, it wasn't on your list. Shit, if she tells the doctor about this, does that mean I'm in trouble? I mean, I listened at the window first to make sure she wasn't using bathroom or anything like that. Then, I called to her."

"No," Bethany said, giggling. "I think you'll be fine on that. I mean, I wouldn't brag about it, but I think we can chalk this one up to over concerned parenting."

"And stress," Seth admitted. "Look, Bethany, I'm trying to be cool about all of this, but it's taking its toll. I want the state to conclude that Kayla and I are the best parents for her, but all of this checking and double checking is stressing Payton out too. That's not good. She's a pretty intuitive kid, she knows all of this talking to people and going to doctors is because they aren't sure she belongs with us. She is in desperate need of security right now."

"I know," Bethany said, her voice warm with sympathy.

"No, I don't think you _do_ know," Seth said, hearing his voice rising and forcing himself to dial it back. "Payton was a kid who got the bare scraps of attention. She _didn't_ lie to her doctor, her parents did love her brother a whole lot more than her. Here's the problem, Bethany, when she was living with her parents who couldn't even be bothered to comb her hair, who let her wander around freely in children's hospitals, nobody questioned if she belonged with them. Nobody, except maybe her grandparents thought that she deserved more, but they weren't in the position to give it. Now that she's actually with two people who love her and care about her, who are really being parents to her, suddenly she's the focus of attention to make sure this is a good home. What's the message they're sending her, Bethany? Because from where I see it, it wouldn't be hard to think that a bad home is acceptable, but maybe Kayla and I are _too_ good for her."

Bethany was silent for a few seconds, then he heard a soft sigh. "You could be right. Let me see what I can do. I won't promise anything, but I'll see if we can at least get it so Payton doesn't have to go to the court ordered doctor. Is she still seeing Dr. Graves?"

"Yes," Seth said. "Not as often though, we all decided that she doesn't need to spend several days a week in a doctor's office. But if the court doctor stops, we'll increase the visits to Dr. Graves. Payton likes her and she knows that she's seeing her because of Preston dying. She doesn't associate her with the adoption. Honestly, Bethany, we're doing the best we can for Payton. The courts seem to be doing their best to make it hard on her."

"I got you," Bethany said. "Let me see what I can do."

* * *

 

Two days later, she told them that the courts had enough information about Payton, and the court ordered psychiatrist felt that she no longer needed to visit him, as long as she was still going to see Dr. Graves. It was a small victory, but a victory none-the-less. Another battle, or at least a skirmish won. Of course, Seth and Kayla still had to go, but they did their best to minimize the significance to Payton, who wasn't completely convinced, but at least had more confidence that Seth and Kayla wouldn't say "the wrong things."

Seth wasn't too sure about that. He still felt a lot of times like the doctor was trying to trick Kayla and him into confessing they would be terrible parents. So, when the day came, almost a year after her parents had died, when Bethany called to let him know what date they would go to court, he was concerned. "What do you think is going to happen?"

"I think it's too early to start calling her Payton Rollins, but if you want to pass out pink banded cigars or pink pencils when the adoption is final, you might want to order those," Bethany said. "I have a copy of the psychiatrist's findings. A lot of it I'm not going to bother telling you, but I will tell you that under recommendations, he feels that in the case of Payton, you and Kayla are her best chances at having a normal, happy life. That both you and Kayla have gone a long way already in undoing the damage of growing up in a stressful environment. And even that this adoption should take place as soon as possible for Payton's emotional well-being."

Seth felt stunned. "He really said that?"

"Yup." He could hear the smile in Bethany's voice. "I think the court hearing will be just a formality. The only thing that might end up a little stressful for Payton is the judge may want to talk to her."

"That's fine," Seth said, feeling a weight lifting off of him.

"Alone," Bethany continued. "Like in his chambers."

"Oh." Seth felt his heart freeze for a moment, then asked, "Why? I mean, if she had any worries about us as parents, she's had plenty of alone time with people to express them. Her case worker, the doctor, so on and so forth. And we've always told her to be honest with them."

"Our judge is Devin Knight, and he's known for wanting to talk to children alone before approving adoption, if the child is old enough," Bethany explained. "He's a nice guy and he wants to make sure that this is what's best for the child. I can't really blame him. I pulled some strings to get him, because I think he's the best one for this case. He really does only want what is best for the child. I can't really blame him for wanting to talk to Payton himself, just to make absolutely sure. Judges feel terrible when adoptions don't work out."

* * *

 

"Pay-Pay!" Seth called up the stairs, using one of Payton's favorite pet names, "C'mon little girl, get the lead out and let's go!"

"Coming!" came the girl's voice followed by the sound of her bedroom door shutting.

"She takes after you, you know," Seth said, turning to look at Kayla, who looked lovely in a black skirt and pale lavender blouse. "A natural beauty who feels she doesn't look presentable unless she spends half an hour getting ready.

"Sometime natural beauty needs a little help," Kayla said, smiling.

"Do I look okay?" Payton called out as she came to the top of the stairs.

Seth looked up at her. She was wearing a light blue dress with a matching headband to pull her hair out of her face. "You look wonderful, Pay-pay," he said, smiling. In the year and a half or so she had lived with them, she had put on four inches and a little under twenty pounds, which her doctor said was fine and actually needed for her height. She still was a slender child, but her waist now curved in a bit, and her hips swelled out, her body beginning to show the signs that sooner, rather than later, she would become a young lady.

But for right now, she was still a cute little girl. "Hugs?" Seth asked. She nodded, jumped down the stairs and into his arms, where he swung her around once and put her on the ground. "Are you ready?"

She nodded, then frowned. "Is it going to be okay?" she asked.

Seth and Kayla exchanged glances. "It should be," Kayla said, only a bit hesitantly. "Everything is supposed to be set."

Seth wasn't surprised at Payton's worries, he had more than a few himself on this day. I didn't matter that this was supposed to be a formality. There were too many times in the last year that "formalities" turned out to be "problems" instead. Seth and Kayla spent a lot of time before the final court date prepping Kayla and reassuring her that if the judge did wish to talk to her, it would be just fine. But they both knew she was worried. Even now, the morning they were headed for court, she looked both relieved that this would soon be over, and still worried about what would happen.

The drive over to the courthouse was quiet, the three of them lost in their own thoughts and afraid to say something. A couple of times Kayla tried to bring up something trivial, like where they might go for dinner that night (providing it was to be a celebration) but her attempts fell flat and soon she too, was staring out the window, only breaking her gaze to look in the visor mirror to make sure Payton was all right.

Seth smiled when he saw her glancing, but said nothing. He did the same thing when he was a passenger, or even as a driver when Kayla wasn't with him, make those quick glances to the back seat to make sure Payton was okay. _We're parents,_ he told himself, _Let's just hope Judge Knight agrees._

End Part Twenty-four


	25. Chapter 25

While they had left the house in plenty of time to get to the Courthouse, when they arrived, Seth found there was no available parking nearby and ended up having to park in a municipal lot, several blocks away. The three of them had to hurry to get there on time and by the time they got inside the building, made it through the metal detectors, and were heading to the third floor, where family court was held, they were running to make sure they would be on time.

"Seth, Kayla, Payton!"

As they were rushing past an open door that lead into a room they had never seen, Seth heard their names being called and all three of them stopped. Bethany was standing in the door way. "Sorry," Seth said, drawing in a deep breath. "I know we're late, but parking was impossible so we ended up parking a ways a way and we had to rush over here."

"It's okay," Bethany said, smiling. She was wearing a proper woman's business suit today, navy blue, with a lighter blue blouse under it. "You're fine. C'mon in, I just want to make sure you folks know what's going on."

They walked into the room and then stopped suddenly. It was a small room, made even smaller by the fact that it was full of people. Seth froze, looking around for a moment, his brain not quite understanding what his eyes were seeing. "What the-" he muttered.

" _Payton!"_ came a happy shriek, and someone shot across the room and threw her arms around Payton, who hugged the person back.

"Leah!"

"Hey guys," Roman said, grinning at the looks of surprise on the faces of the Rollins family.

Roman, Jessica and Leah were there, as well as Dean, Cinnamon and Neil. And if that wasn't enough, Stephanie and Hunter were there and their three daughters and Beth and Evan, Payton's grandparents. Seth stared around, amazed. "You," he started to say, then paused, not knowing exactly what he did want to say, and realizing that there was a burning sensation behind his eyes.

"I thought it would be good for you to have some friendly faces in the courtroom today," Bethany said, smiling. "People who believe that you'll make good parents because they're parents themselves. So, I called your bosses," she paused and motioned towards Hunter and Stephanie, "And they talked to your friends here, and made the arrangements. And, of course Payton's grandparents wished to be here as well.

"Thank you," Seth said, his voice a harsh whisper. "This-this means so much to me."

Hunter had moved closer and put his hand on Seth's shoulder. "This is one of the biggest days of your life," he said. "You need the support of your friends-"

"-and family," Dean interrupted, "he's our brother, remember?"

"And family," Hunter agreed. "We know everything is going to be fine, but it never hurt to have a show of support."

"This must be so exciting for you," Stephanie said, smiling.

"Exciting and nerve wracking," Kayla admitted. "This last year has been pretty stressful."

"Well, it all ends today, hopefully," Bethany said, then looked at Payton. "How are you holding up?"

"I'm scared," Payton admitted with a nervous grin. "I-I-I want this so badly and I'm _so_ afraid I'll screw it up."

"You won't," Bethany reassured her. "Even if you have to talk to Judge Knight in his chamber, you'll do fine. Just be honest with him. He's a very good man and he only wants what's best for you."

"What's best for me, is Uncle Seth and Aunt Kayla," Payton said firmly.

* * *

 

Juvenile court proceedings were not open to the public, but people who had a vested interest in the case were allowed to go inside, providing no one had any objections. Less than two minutes before the hearing was scheduled to begin, everyone filed into the courtroom. As Seth and Kayla had discovered earlier, the courtrooms for family/juvenile court were more informal, most likely to be less intimidating for children. The judge did sit at the head of the room, but the bench wasn't as high. The "witness" area was a chair next to the judge's bench, an adjustable chair. There was no jury area either. In general, the room was more open, and slightly more inviting than a regular courtroom, at least compared to the ones Seth had seen on TV. The only courtroom he had been in before this one was one he had visited with his High School Con. Law class and he barely remembered it.

One thing was the same, however. A few minutes after they were situated in the room, the bailiff entered and announced that the county juvenile court was now in session and that Judge Devin Knight was presiding and they should all rise. Everyone rose to their feet and the judge came into the room via a door in the back. Seth noted, with some relief, that Devin Knight was an older man, perhaps in his early '60s, with silver streaked dark hair and the look of man who had been a good father to his children and was likely now to be a doting grandfather. It was a kind face, not the face of a pushover, but the face of a man who would want what was best for Payton. _Please_ , Seth thought, and he knew that Kayla was thinking the same thing, _let him realize that what's best for Payton Caldwell is to become Payton Rollins_.

He sat down at the bench and looked briefly through a pile of papers. When he looked up, he was smiling. "I have been familiarizing myself with this case," he said. "And I believe all findings from the state are that Seth and Kayla Rollins are fine, upstanding people who will make wonderful parents for Payton Caldwell." He looked over at Gina Picard, who Seth realized had been sitting quietly off to the side. "Is this true?"

Seth found himself holding his breath for what seemed like a long time, but in truth was less than five seconds, waiting for Gina's answer. _She never liked me,_ he found himself thinking, _Well, I never liked her, the nasty witch_.

"Yes, your honor," Gina said.

_She's wonderful_ , Seth thought. _We should have her over for dinner when this is over with_.

"And it is also the opinion of the state, and child welfare, that Payton is a good fit for the Rollins family?"

Again, Seth's breath caught in his throat. _Don't be a bitch, Gina, please don't be a bitch_.

" _Yes your honor_ ," Gina said again, then added, "from everything observed, Payton already _is_ a member of the Rollins family."

_You're the best, Gina. I'm glad you were our caseworker, you really know your stuff._

"Good," Judge Knight smiled, a warm smile. "All attempts to contact the child's blood family have been exhausted?"

"Yes, your honor," Gina said. "Payton's only blood family are her grandparents, who are in the courtroom today to show their support for Payton, Kayla and Seth. Due to health and age issues, they both feel that the best thing for the future health, happiness and well being of Payton is to be adopted into the Rollins family. Both Mr. and Ms. Rollins agree that they will do what they can to make sure Payton continues to have a relationship with her maternal grandparents, all of them feeling this connection an important one."

"Excellent!" Judge Knight said, and Seth thought he really did look pretty happy. He turned his attentions to Bethany. "Does your client agree with the findings of the state in regards that the best thing for Payton Caldwell is to become a member of their family?"

"They do, your honor," Bethany said.

"And they understand that adoption is a permanent measure, one that will obligate them to caring for Payton just as if she were theirs by blood? That once this is finalized, as far as the law is concerned, she is just the same as any child by blood?"

"Yes, your honor," Bethany said, "and I can further assure you that permanent, legal custody, is exactly what the Rollins have hoped for since petitioning the court for adoption. The Rollins' have spared no effort to insure a proper, safe, environment where they hope Payton will not only thrive, but flourish in their care. In other words, your honor, they could not love Payton more if she were born flesh of their flesh."

Judge Devin Knight was still smiling as if every word he heard was a small and joyful symphony to his ears. The more Seth saw that smile, the more he liked this guy. "Excellent," he said, yet again. "And there is no one in this courtroom who objects to this adoption, or knows of anyone who would?"

Silence filled the room.

"Very good," the Judge said, nodding. "Well then, this seems pretty clear cut to me, but before I make my judgment, I would like the opportunity to talk to Payton alone for a moment. Does anyone object?"

"I do," a small voice said and it took a moment for Seth to realize it was Payton who spoke, Payton who was sitting between Kayla and him, clutching tightly to both of their hands, Payton who looked pale, frightened, but determined.

"I'm sorry, your honor," Bethany began, "Payton is young, she doesn't realize-"

"-No," the judge interrupted Bethany. "I did ask the question of everyone, she has the right to answer." He turned his attention to Payton, who had slid off the bench they were seated on, and was standing now. She had let go of Seth and Kayla's hand and was standing on her own, a slight sway to her body as if she might faint if this situation became any more stressful. Seth found himself leaning forward, ready to grab her at a moment's notice if she did start to fall. "Well, young lady, why do you object to talking to me in private? Do I scare you?"

"A little," Payton admitted, and a titter of laughter went through the courtroom. Seth wanted to glare at everyone, didn't they realize how intimidating this was for the girl?

"-But that's not why I'm ob-ob-objecting," Payton continued, almost tasting that last word. "Mister Judge, sir, I know why you want to talk to me alone."

"Oh?" the judge's brows raised and the faintest trace of a grin hovered on his lips. "You do?"

"Yes," Payton said, her head nodding as well. "You want to give me the chance to say how I feel about Uncle Seth an' Aunt Kayla without having to worry that they'll hear me, in case I want to say anything bad. But I don't have anything bad to say!" Her voice grew stronger as she spoke and the swaying she had been doing subsided as if her own words gave her confidence and strength. "Two doctors have asked me if there is anything I want to say without them hearing. Ms. Picard has asked me, and so has Ms. Laughlin. All of them have told me that anything I say will never get back to Aunt Seth and – I mean Uncle Seth and Aunt Kayla. But I have nothing to say about them that I don't want them to hear. I _love_ them. And I want them to be my parents. They love me, they want me to be their kid. They say it to me all the time, but they don't just say it, they show it."

She took a couple of hesitant steps forward, still speaking, but wanting to get closer to the judge, perhaps so she would not have to talk so loud. "I think about this a lot, Judge sir, I _have_ thought about it a lot."

When the judge nodded, giving Payton permission to move closer, she walked over to his bench and sat in the witness chair, smoothing the skirt of her dress. "I had a very sick brother," she said. "His name was Preston and he could be a real pain, but he was my baby brother and I loved him. He needed a lot of attention because he was sick. So much attention that my mom an' dad didn't have time for me."

She said the last in such a matter-of-fact tone of voice that Seth's heart went out to her, as it had a million times before.

If Payton knew that her words caused others discomfort, she showed no signs but continued. "Uncle Seth an' Kayla _always_ have time for me. Uncle Seth is the greatest wrestler in the whole wide world and he's _very_ busy because of that, but he always finds time for me. _Always._ Because he loves me. Aunt Kayla, too. They love me _so_ much that they make me go to bed at the same time every night, even if I don't feel like it. They make me eat stuff I don't like because it's good for me. They made me study last summer, which I didn't want to, but they did it so when I went back to school, I wouldn't have to go into a class with littler kids than me. I went right into fourth grade, like all the rest of the kids. I love them, Mr. Judge, sir, and they love me too. I don't have to go off alone ad tell you that, I can say it right here. I know they love me and they know I love them. So, why not ask me here, right here, in front of them, what you'd ask me in private. Because when it comes to them? I don't have anything to say _about_ them that wouldn't say _to_ them."

Silence filled the room as Payton stopped talking, looking at the judge, an earnest expression on her young face. Seth wanted to jump up and cheer and he was pretty sure Kayla did too, but out of respect for this being a court of law, they remained seated. _I love you, so much,_ Seth thought as if Payton might suddenly become telepathic.

"I see," Judge Knight said, his voice grave, but his eyes twinkling as he studied the young girl sitting next to him, nervously wiping her palms on her pretty dress. "Well, I was going to offer you a soda pop if we went to my chambers."

"That's all right," Payton said, almost primly. "Soda is bad for my teeth. Uncle Seth and Aunt Kayla only let me have one glass of soda a week and I'm saving that for Friday, if we have pizza."

A ripple of laughter went through the courtroom and even Seth had to smile at that.

The judge didn't laugh, but he did smile broadly. "Well then, Payton," he said, warmly. "If you don't want to have a soda and you really don't have anything you want to say about your aunt and uncle in private, maybe it is time to wrap this up. You seem like a very smart young lady and I'm sure you have better things to do then sit in a stuff courtroom."

"Oh, _no_ , sir," Payton objected. "I'll sit in this stuffy courtroom all _day_ and night if it means that Uncle Seth an' Aunt Kayla become my forever parents."

Again more laughter, but Judge Knight nodded, looking solemn. "All right then, I think I've made my decision." He looked over at Seth and Kayla. "Will the two of you approach the bench?"

Seth and Kayla got to their feet, exchanging looks, but walked to the bench. Seth expected Bethany to accompany them, but she stayed where she was, as if she knew her part in this was over and now it was between the three of them and the judge.

When they were almost to the bench, the judge made a motion, indicating they should stop where they were. Then he rose from the bench and held out his hand to Payton, who barely hesitated before taking it. Together, the two of them walked over to Seth and Kayla. "You can stand with them," the judge said, and Payton went over, then stood between them as the judge looked at the three of them.

"Being a judge in the juvenile court system is not always the easiest job," Judge Knight began. "Often I have to make decisions I find unpleasant and even distasteful. On days when that happens, I often wonder why I wanted to take this job anyway."

"But," he continued, "every so often a day like this comes. A day when I know I have the power to make decisions that will positively impact the lives of people, in this case, three people. Being a juvenile court judge gives me a power most judges do not have, it grants me the power to make families. And that's what I'm going to do today. I will take one couple, who have no children, and one little girl who has no parents, and turn them into a unit of three. A family."

"So, while most judges would just bang their gavel and declare this to be so, I think a situation like this calls for a little more ceremony than that. So, at this time, I would like to ask, Seth and Kayla Rollins, do you promise to take Payton Caldwell, not only into your home, but into your hearts? Do you promise to love and cherish her, to offer her guidance as she heads on the path towards adulthood, just as if she were flesh of your flesh and blood of your blood?"

As he was speaking, Seth felt the hairs on his neck standing on end, not with dread, but with a feeling that something ancient was happening here, a ceremony that was more binding than the court order itself would be. That what they were doing now was speaking out to the universe, to fate, telling them that forevermore, they would be Payton's parents and nothing, not even death could change that.

"We do," Seth and Kayla said in perfect unison, as if they had been rehearsing for weeks to get it right.

The judge smiled, then looked at Payton. "And do you, Payton, promise to take Seth and Kayla Rollins as your parents. To love them and honor them, to treat them just the same as you would if they were your parents by flesh and blood?"

"Better!" Payton said, then realized that wasn't the response expected and hurried to change it. "I mean, yes, I will, I mean I _do!"_

"Well then by the powers granted to me by the court of the state of Iowa, I do decree that from here forward, you are now the Rollins family. And from this day forward, unless you are legally old enough to change it, you shall be known as Payton _Rollins._ " The judge smiled at the three of them. "You may now have your first true group hug as a family."

Seth scooped down and drew Payton in his arms, drawing her up so she was face to face, and he wrapped his other arm around Kayla and the three of them held each other tightly, and even though he knew it wasn't exactly manly of him, he felt the tears gathering in his eyes, spilling down his cheeks, he realized that ever since he was a kid, he'd thought the only thing he'd wanted was to be at the top of his career, to be the WWE wrestler that held the championship. And while he had that, it had been wonderful, but not nearly as wonderful as this was, to have Kayla, his wife and Payton his daughter and to know that they were and always would be, a family. Unashamed, he tightened his arms around them, these two people who were so important to him, knowing that also in this courtroom, watching this, were his brothers and their families. Payton's grandparents, who were now, in a sense, surrogate parents to him and Kayla as in all of them wanted what was best for Payton and would do what they could to make sure of that.

_I have everything I could ever want,_ he thought. _Everything that really matters._

When they drew apart, he saw Kayla and Payton's eyes were red too. "I love you both," he said, "so very much."

The End


End file.
